Save Me From Myself
by VintagexBeau
Summary: Suffering from a broken heart, Jamie turns to the only person he can trust and find comfort in. But will this painful heartache actually lead him to his true soul mate?
1. A is for Awkwardness

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harvest Moon or its characters. This story was only written for entertainment purposes.

* * *

**Save Me From Myself**

_Chapter One_

* * *

Well now, this was _awkward_.

He was just _sitting_ there, an obvious shadow of his former self, and staring at nothing. Visibly destroyed by something, of what the brunette farmer had yet to figure out. His body language, however, screamed that he was very upset.

She had found him sulking near her home, which that in itself was unbelievably odd. What was even stranger was the nagging little voice in the back of her head, compelling her to comfort him, even if he _had_ been a complete jerk to her for the first two years she'd arrived to the pleasant village. So here she was, sitting across the sulking purple haired farmer with a fresh cup of Herb Tea before them and she felt more than just a little foolish as the uncomfortable silence continued.

Staring at the orange cup in her hands, she wondered, long and hard, about what could have possibly made the usually stoic and uptight Jamie so troubled. It wasn't something she was used to seeing. He didn't have that 'I'm-better-that-you-at-everything' feeling, instead he looked like a confused and lost child. It didn't sit right with her.

Not one bit.

Brown eyes lift from the tea and she looked over his appearance. He looked very clean cut and spruced up, like he had recently taken a bath and had prepared himself for something very important. He wasn't wearing his usual multicolored poncho thing, instead the strange clothing was replaced with a clean light purple dress shirt, underneath a white undershirt peaked from where the over shirt remained unbuttoned. And she was floored she didn't instantly notice that he wasn't wearing his large hat, giving her a perfect view of the lilac locks that were constantly hidden underneath the hat.

With a fidgeting in her seat, she had to admit, much to her displeasure, that he looked rather... _handsome_.

Shaking her head, embarrassed that thought had even crossed her mind, she cleared her throat and stared down pointedly at her cup of tea.

"Jamie, drink the tea. It'll make you feel better," she mumbled, pushing the untouched tea towards her sulking companion.

While he glared at the cup, she restrained herself from sighing loudly, instantly _knowing_ by his look that this wasn't going to be an easy evening. His glare lifted towards her as he pushed the drink away, almost as if he were insulted to have been offered some commoners drink.

"I don't like _this_." he spat, emphasizing his statement by pointing at the innocent cup with his index finger.

She felt her eye beginning to twitch in annoyance, but once again held back on the urge to let her frustration show by telling him off. Instead, she breathed deeply and exhaled slowly before she nodding and pushing the cup off to the side.

Jamie frowned.

He shouldn't have spoken to her like that, but it was a bad habit that would _never_ die. He should have been grateful she even allowed him a moment of her time. She was always busy, even after brining back the Harvest Goddess, there always seemed to be something left to do. There wasn't a day she didn't have something going on. Knowing that, he was actually surprised he had wandered to her home during his walk of shame.

He wasn't expecting her to turn the corner just as he was preparing to leave. And he sure as hell wasn't expecting her to look _concerned_, ask what was wrong, or invite him inside.

Jamie's eyes dropped to the table. She was too kind, maybe a bit too much for her own good. He envied that about her, but there wasn't a chance in hell those words would ever leave his mouth. And although they had their share of rough moments, she was the only person he truly considered as a – a _friend_.

As she sipped on her own cup, he cringed.

How could she drink that horrible drink, it was so bitter, was beyond him. Glaring at the cup once more, hoping his dislike for the liquid was obvious in the look, he vowed he would never again drink Herb Tea. Just looking at it made his chest ache, his fist ball in rage, and his mind sink deeper into defeat.

"Jamie?"

Her voice startled him, causing him to quickly look at the brunette. She had that same look of concern on her face again, and it made him upset.

"Do you want something else to drink? I can make you a strawberry shake or something."

She instantly regretted saying anything as Jamie threw her another nasty look. Swallowing the lump forming in the throat, she looked away. If she would have known that every little thing would piss him off, she would have never stopped to check on him. She should have just told him to leave. Here she was trying to be nice and he was giving her attitude.

Ungrateful little punk.

He leaned back, causing the chair to groan in protest, and crossed his arms in front of his chest, "I'm fine."

"Fine," she shot back, standing from her seat and taking her empty cup in one hand and the full cup in another. Dumping the empty one in the sink, she placed the untouched cup into the fridge and glanced over at Jamie.

He was staring at her, and it kinda crept her out. The way his eyes always seemed to see right through someone had always made her feel more than a little uncomfortable. Looking away, she pretended to search for something in the fridge.

"Why do you look so nice today, Jamie?" he heard her said, muffled behind the large refrigerator. "Where you going somewhere?"

Looked nice today?

He _always_ looked nice.

A sneer was threatening to show on his face, but instead Jamie frowned and crossed his arms in front of his chest. He understood her meaning, he wasn't in his usual attire. But even if he understood, he hesitated for a second. Silently wondering if he really wanted to open up to someone he had once held a grudge against.

Wouldn't she ridicule him afterwards?

Probably behind his back, just like everyone else.

His gaze returned to her. She seemed trustworthy, honest, and looked like she wouldn't blab about anything, whether she wanted to or not.

"I – " he flinched as the image of that morning's event replayed in his mind.

He could see himself walking into the flower shop, see that Nina was the one handling today's clients, and see her smiling face. He still wasn't exactly sure how, or why, he had become attracted to the pink haired gardener. It may have been the fact that she would sometime be around when he went fishing. Or maybe it was because he was impressed by her knowledge when it came to plants. But whatever it was, he had fallen for her, and _hard_. Hard enough to consider her as marriage material and present her with the blue-feather.

"I went to propose to someone," Jamie muttered quickly.

The brunette froze and wondering if she had heard him right. Slowly closing the fridge, a jar in her hand, she looked at him. He looked dead serious, but then again when _didn't_ he look serious.

She blinked once, twice, three times before giving him a strange look, "I-I'm sorry, what?"

Propose and Jamie just didn't seem to fit so well together in her mind. But a more important question swarmed her mind: Who could he have proposed to?

A mental list of all the available girls was instantly created in her head. Gwen and Maria had just gotten married during the summer. Not Ann or Lyla, they were both already engaged. Dia was gone, apparently to some Faraway Sky, wherever _that_ was. Ellen, Gina, and Katie were in obvious relationship, even if they did try denying it.

Which left just two girls, Eve and Nina.

Eve didn't strike her as Jamie's type, not by a long shot. Which left Nina as the only possible answer. And by the look at just how upset he seemed when she found him, she didn't have to guess to hard about what the pink haired gardeners answer had to have been.

"Oh, Jamie," she automatically felt herself say. "I'm so sorry."

But even as the words left her mouth, she couldn't know how Jamie left. The closet thing she could relate to was when Ellen had told her that Blue had proposed to Ann. What a heartache that had been for her. It had felt like a piece of her heart had been ripped out and stomped on. But, however painful it may have felt, she was still happy for them.

Sighing, she took her seat again and stared down at the jar in her hands. He remained quiet and his eyes stayed glued to the table.

Jamie abruptly laughed, it was cold and lacked any sort of emotion, as he ran a hand through his hair.

"Do you know what she said," he mumbled darkly. He expected her to shake her head no or ask him what, but her response surprised him.

"It doesn't matter, Jamie. It's her loss, you'll find someone better." she answered, her tone soft, as she turned to look at him with an equally soft smile. "Besides, it's not like she's the _only _one out there. I know this'll sound cheesy, but it's true, there are plenty of fish in the sea. You just gotta be patient."

Jamie stared back, dumbfounded and at a loss for words, and slowly nodded. She took once more from her seat and handed him the jar securely in her grasp. It was a pink colored jam.

"For you." she said. "I remembered I had some left over from Spring. And it's your favorite."

Hesitating only momentarily, he took the gift and hid the look of shock from his face. It had been almost a year since he had ran her off his farm, annoyed by her daily presence with the same gift for him, and she still remembered.

As she retreated to the kitchen, the sound of her dog whimpering for its meal softly filling the once silent room, he took the distraction as a opportunity to stuff the gift away and stand from his own seat. Only once he reached the door did she look back at him. With one last pat of the small animal by her side, she made her way towards him.

"Leaving?" She could tell he looked happier, or at least as happy as Jamie could be compared to how he had come in. He nodded and she smiled, "Okay. I guess I'll see you around."

"Yeah," she heard him mumble, obviously uncomfortable.

An amused smile pulled on her lips as she half expected him to make his usual 'humph' sound and return to his haughty attitude the second he stepped out the door. She prepped herself for the onslaught of verbal abuse, but he stopped before fully exiting her home.

"Thank you... for the gift. I... I'll see you tomorrow."

And with those last words, he was gone, leaving her slightly baffled and exited about the day to come.


	2. B is for Better Tomorrows

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harvest Moon or its characters. This story was only written for entertainment purposes.

* * *

**Save Me From Myself**

_Chapter Two_

* * *

The brunette farmer frowned as the chatter in town buzzed even louder.

This morning topic was centered directly around her former rivals embarrassment and it irked her to no end. As she shifted in her chair, she couldn't help but wonder how the news had spread so quickly. Nina couldn't have been so cruel. But then again, she hadn't spent that much time getting to know the pink haired gardener.

Truth be told, the farmer never really made much of an _effort _to get to know her. Nina was just too _peppy_, not that being peppy was a bad thing, but it was just a little to much for her liking. Similar to Joe. Goddess, now there was a ball of energy she had no problem avoiding like the plague.

With a shake of her head, she watched as Alex moved around his office, nodding to himself as he read something off his chart. Martha returned to the young farmers side, a pleasant smile on her face, and instructed her to follow behind.

"How are you feeling today?" Martha asked.

She shrugged, "Same as always, I guess."

"Good, good." Martha said underneath a heavy sighed, "I'm much more worried about Jamie. Such a terrible ordeal he went through."

She frown deepened, but the farmer pretended not to know what Martha was talking about. "What do you mean?"

Martha's eyes seemed to grow wider as she turned her attention back to the young female. "Oh my! You mean you haven't heard?" The farmer shook her head as Martha played with the hem of her apron. "Well, I'm not so much into gossip, but... Katie came by earlier this morning, that girl always knows what's going on in town, and told me about how Jamie proposed to Nina."

"Really..." was all the brunette was able mumbled as a scowl making itself present on her face. _'So that's how everyone found out.'_ A sound of pure irritation escaped her lips and she crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Katie has such a big mouth. She should keep to her own business."

"Now, now. I'm sure Nina knew what she was doing when she told Katie." Martha chimed in, defeating the bubbly waitress.

As much as she hated admiring it, Martha was telling the truth. Katie was known for being unable to keep even the simplest of secrets under wraps, which was why everyone in town knew that the brunette farmer still slept with a stuffed animal. Telling Katie anything was essentially the same as calling the town together in the square and proclaiming one's deepest, darkest secrets without abandonment.

But before the conversation could continue any further between the women, Alex cleared his throat and looked at the farmer with a pointed look.

"Well, it seems like you are in perfect health, but please do not wait two years in the between check ups. It isn't healthy for you." he scolded softly. The brunette sighed, but nodded in agreement. Sometimes Alex sounded more like her father than her friend. With a pleasant smile, Alex nodded, "Good. Then I will see you in the fall then."

"Alright. Thanks, Alex."

With murmured exchanges of goodbye, she stood from her seat and headed out the door, fully intending to make use of the beautiful day.

* * *

Jamie silently ignored the stares he was receiving as he stiffly continued with his morning routine. It was obvious that his dirty little secret had been exposed. How, when, where, or why didn't matter for the moment, he was more interesting in _who_ had ratted him out.

Another set of soft whispering behind his back, obviously feminine murmurs, cause his spine to tense. With a short glance over his shoulder, he sneered at the two women as they openly gossiped and gawked at him, as if he were some exotic attraction. As Katie and Eve laughed and continued their way down the path Jamie could only think about how _humiliating_ it was being the butt of their entertainment.

"Oh! Hi!" came a high voice abruptly.

"You're _so_ nosy, Katie!"

"_W-WHAT_!"

At the flabbergasted tone, Jamie stepped away from his farm animals and looked over at the cluster of women. Katie flipped her honey brown hair over her shoulder and glared at the brunette farmer.

"How rude, Abigail!"

Abigail shook her head and pointed an accusing finger at the waitress, "No. You are rude! How can you be so _heartless_ and blab about something so private!" Jamie watched as she crossed her arms in front of her chest and continued her rant with an unexpected icy glare. "What if that had happened to you? _Hmm?_ Rejection is not something anyone wants to experience, let alone have the experience exposed to the entire town."

The usually outgoing waitress suddenly became quiet. Her face colored a tint of red as she mimicked his former rivals stance with her own arms crossed below her breasts and huffed. She suddenly stuck her nose in the air and shrugged her shoulders. "Whatever. We are leaving."

Jamie exhaled deeply and wiped the sweat off his brow as he watched Katie and Eve escaped Abigail's wrath. The brunette, meanwhile, stood motionless and kept her eyes glued to both women. As soon as the gossip box was well away, Abigail sighed loudly in frustration and kicked at the dirt road.

Tipping his large sombrero down, Jamie hid the smirk playing on his lips. It was odd, seeing the usually friendly farmer angry about something. It was also strange to see her so upset over something that shouldn't have been that much of a concern to her.

"Jamie!"

Any traces of a smirk disappeared quickly as her voice reached his ears and a mask of apathy slowly ebbed its way onto his face as he glanced up to watch the brunette run up to him. She looked like her usual kind self, almost as if the spat with Katie had never happened at all, and she smiled at him. He fought off the urge to make his usual 'humph' sound or run her out and returned the smile, or at least tried. But his smile was empty, still hurting from last nights rejection and this mornings whispers.

"What." Jamie's tone had come out harsher then he had intended it to be and her smile dropped slightly, but the happiness still radiated off of her in waves.

"How are you?"

Jamie shrugged, not sure of what there was to say about the topic. The entire town now knew about the incident, thanks to the blabber mouth that was Katie, and he was going to move on with his life.

The sudden feeling of being watched, and not just by the female before him, pricked at the purple haired farmers back. It was coming from a completely different direction. Cocking his head to the side, Jamie caught sight of the blond haired farmer and his raven haired helper casting them occasional glances. He frowned and moved away from the purple barricade that kept his animal enclosed, brushing off the dirt from his clothes.

"I have to get back to work," he mumbled.

"Oh," was his immediate response. Looking away from the males, he glanced down at the female in front of him and watched as she nodded at him. "Of course."

As he took another step away, Abigail held her hand up and signaled for Jamie to wait a moment. Reaching into her bag, she pulled out a jar and extended it towards the purple haired farmer. The jar was filled with a purple substance. Blueberry Jam.

"Here you go!" she cheerfully exclaimed, stuffing the gift into his hands and smiling brightly. "I'll see you later."

Before he could mutter a thanks, she was gone. Running down the dirt path and disappearing from sight as she turned towards the clinic.

* * *

The day ended with only one topic on everyones lips and it annoyed Abigail. While she loved living in the small town, there were also those few drawbacks to living in such a small place.

For one, the only form of major entertainment seemed to be everyone else's lives. Every flaw and mistake was help up to be examined by others, and usually behind each others back and with a fake smile plastered on their faces in front of those being criticized.

Although she questioned her decision on staring in Flower Bud every now and then, she could never deny that moving here had helped her, immensely. She was no longer thinking like that immature eighteen-year-old who had first stepped through the town, now she was mature. She also had serious friendships here, and that wasn't something that could be easily achieved in the city.

City folks were always looking for connections, if they couldn't gain something for themselves then there wasn't a reason to be friends. Acquaintances, sure. One of those could come in handy some day down the road, but nothing more than that.

Lately, however, even those friendships were proving to be not enough to keep her mind from questioning her reasons for sticking around. Gwen was married, so there was usually no real time to catch up with girl talk. Sure, there were those rare moments at festivals, but most of the time her and Bob were glued to the hip. It wasn't like before.

Even Ellen was obviously busy with her own blooming relationship, whether she wanted to freely admit said relationship or not. Far and between were the times they could sit together and gossip quietly or even improve her questionable cooking abilities. When she wasn't baking sweet with and/or for Carl, or vice versa, she was helping Blue or Hark with the animals and shop. It wouldn't be a surprise the brunette farmer to hear that the marriage bug was making its round and bit Ellen, maybe very soon, and then she'd truly be alone.

A small whine emitted from the beige dog on her lap and she sighed quietly as she stared down at her pet with a smile. "Well, maybe not _completely_ alone, right boy?"

Her companion barked and cuddled its head against her stomach.

She giggled and ran a free hand through its fur. 'But still,' she thought with a frown and rested her elbow against the chairs armrest, laying her cheek in her palm. 'Maybe it's time for a change of scenery?'


	3. C is for Conversations

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harvest Moon or its characters. This story was only written for entertainment purposes.

* * *

**Save Me From Myself**

_Chapter Three_

* * *

It was a week after the _scandal_ and things seemed to have slowed down. Everything was seemingly back to normal, although there were those rare moment in which small talk usually managed to snake its way to the unfortunate rejection. All in all, however, the topic of Jamie and Nina faded, much to Abigail's delight.

As the brunette farmer wiped the sweat from her brow, she smiled at her hard work. It was the fifth day of Summer and her plants were beginning to bloom beautifully. While a majority of her crops consisted of pinkcat flowers, Liz had managed to persuade her into planting tomatoes and cocoa. She had no real use for both crops, but they could bring in a bit of extra cash, which she needed since her decision to fiddle with the idea of moving.

No matter how much she loved living a simple and tranquil life in Flower Bud, she couldn't help but feel like something was missing. Could it be the lack of excitement? No. It wasn't just that. If she wanted a jolt of excitement she could always compete in the festivals. After all, Blue and Jamie always seemed to have a great time trying to out do the other.

It couldn't be that. Something else was missing. Something she couldn't attach a name to yet, but it was making itself much more obvious as the days progressed in the sleepy atmosphere that was Flower Bud.

With a heavy sigh, she watered the last batch of pink flowers displayed before her. It was then than a thought suddenly struck her, it was already ten in the morning and she had yet to see a single person walk by.

Was today a festival?

Couldn't be. The brunette always checked her calendar before stepping out of her home in the morning. The sky was clear, free of dark clouds and a slight breeze moving through the town, and the summer heat was beginning to make itself present with the suns strong rays beating against the land. Was it possible that the heat itself was the reason why the town seemed to be working at a much slower pace? Possibly, but doubtful.

Abigail refilled her watering can and headed indoors, the quiet of the town made it seem eerier than it ever could be at night. Depositing the watering can into her pale green chest, she rummaged around for her brush and smiled as her loyal companion whined for his daily brushing.

"I know, I know." She cooed while she patted the canine once and pulled out what she was looking for. Fax barked and happily wagged his tail as his master began brushing his beige coat.

There was suddenly a knock at her door.

Giving the canine one last brush, she patted him again and dropped the brush into the still opened chest before making her way towards the door. Looking herself over in a nearby mirror, she ran a hand through her hair and brushed away the dirt and sweat from her face. As she opened the door, she was pleasantly surprised to see the purple haired farmer standing before her.

She smiled and eagerly widened the door to let him pass. Not surprisingly, he entered in complete silently and averting eye contact. Before the brunette closed the door behind her guest, she glanced out and frowned when she found that the town still seemed to be empty.

Shrugging, she closed the door and turned to find the blue eyed male sitting at her table. Fiddling with the idea of offering him some herb tea, she quickly squashed the thought after remembering how he had looked down at her offering.

She shook her head and the smile returned to her face. "Long time to see, Jamie. How have you been?"

It was his turn to shrug.

Abigail merely nodded at the action as she walked into the kitchen. Lingering at the fridge a bit longer than necessary, she looked back at Jamie. "Do you want something? A drink? Or maybe a sweet? Ellen taught me how to make a delicious Honey Cake."

Jamie couldn't help but notice the enthusiasm in her voice, however, he shook his head, "No. Nothing. ...Maybe some other time." He added quietly when he witnessed how her joyful expression diminished.

She nodded and took a seat across from him. A moment or two of silence settled between the two farmers before she spoke again. "So..."

He watched her intently as she tried to start off a simple conversation. It had been an entire week since he last heard a peep from the farmer before him. It shouldn't have struck him as odd, she was probably busy with whatever it was she spent her time doing. Even now, she looked like she'd just finished some gardening, her clothing were covered in dirt and splashed with water. She wore a healthy light tan, typical for farm workers, and her hair had been pulled up. But not in those usual pigtails, however. Instead, her hair was all pulled into a messy bun held high with a blue clip. It made her look different, but in a good way.

A nervous chuckle came from the farmer across from him, "Stop staring so hard. You're kind of freaking me out."

Jamie was brought out of his daze by her words. Was he staring? His eyes drifted away from the female and landed on her mutt laying about a foot away from the table. "Does it?"

There was yet another moment of silence and Jamie mulled over why he came to her home in the first place. But his thoughts were interrupted when she changed the subject. "You weren't at the beach festival."

Jamie frowned, "No. I wasn't."

A third moment of silence ate away at their time, and there frequent silences were beginning to annoy the stoic farmer.

"...How come?"

"I didn't feel like going."

Jamie glared at the mutt, silently cursing the brunette and her awkward silences, when he hear her shuffle in her seat. "...Kurt won."

_'Kurt.'_ Jamie would have scoffed if he was alone, but seeing as he had someone else in his presence her refrained himself. The carpenter was not the necessarily the person Jamie would have guessed to win the competition. "Did he now."

"Yep," she drawled with a light sight. "Blue came in close second. And then Alex... Actually, I'm pretty surprised he even _agreed_ to participate. All he was doing before the competition started was ranting off reason why it wouldn't be a good idea for him to be in it. It was funny."

He waited for the soft giggles coming from the woman before him to settled before asking, "You didn't place?"

"I didn't participate."

His eyes snapped towards the brunette, "What?"

"I. Didn't. Participate?" she repeated, a bemused expression etched into her face.

At the response, Jamie narrowed his eyes, "Why not? You could have easily beaten all of them. I've seen you swim," bitterly adding, "you even beat _me_ one summer."

The confusion on her face melted and an unexpected playful smirk tugged at her lips as she shrugged nonchalantly. "Guess I didn't feel like it."

Jamie's lip twitched, itching to mimicking the smirk on her face but refraining from doing so. The brunette had used his own words against him and instead of feeling angry at being given the runaround, he felt amused. "Then Kurt had no real challenge. You and I weren't in the contest, so therefore, that little festival doesn't really count."

"Oh _really_?" A genuine smile replaced the uncharacteristic smirk as she rested an elbow against the oak table, laying her chin onto the palm, before cocking her head to the side. "You think you and me could have totally beaten those guys?"

Jamie could feel the haughty expression on his features, "Of course."

She laughed quietly and shook her head in disbelief for a moment, "Whatever you say, Jamie."

The pleasant conversation dwindled into a comfortable silence, one that Jamie found himself enjoying rather than feel annoyed by the lack of time used. Her pet suddenly yawed and Jamie took note of the small smile on her face. Did she always smile at the smallest things? She always seemed to be smiling, and it fit her perfectly. Why hadn't he taken notice before? Better yet, why was he noticing _now_.

Brown orbs abruptly jumped back at him, "The Star Festival is coming up."

Abigail noted how he tensed and instantly regretted the bad choice of subject.

He looked away and shrugged, "So it is."

"...What are you planning on doing?" she whispered while pulling her hands onto her lap and watched him cautiously.

The icy glare thrown at her was all the answer she needed, but Jamie voiced it nonetheless, "Nothing."

The tone of his voice was cold and detached. The glimmer of calmness that filled his eyes not more than ten seconds ago was completely gone, replaced with a blank expression. Cold and calculating azure eyes watched her, almost daring her to try and bring them back to life.

Jamie scared her at the moment, so she quickly decided on a new topic.

"...I've been thinking about moving."


	4. D is for Disaster

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harvest Moon or its characters. This story was only written for entertainment purposes.

* * *

**Save Me From Myself**

_Chapter Four_

* * *

Jamie had found himself thinking very much the twenty four hours.

_She _wanted to leave Flower Bud Village and, for some unexplainable reason, it bothered him. While outwardly he refused to acknowledge the unusual feeling nagging at him, it was hard to completely ignore said feeling.

If she wanted to leave, then she should. It wasn't like she was forced to stay. She wasn't married and she wasn't use her farm as a means to support the village. There weren't any responsibilities rooting her to the sleepy village, therefore she could easily fulfill her wish of leaving. With that being said, however, it confused Jamie to hear her state that her decision wasn't written in stone.

Confused as he might have been, it was impossible to brush aside the subconscious floor of relief at the words. He would never admit to this aloud, much rather be stubborn as a mule, but if the brunette were to leave... then he would be alone. The sprites had stopped their pestering a long time ago and the Harvest Goddess was always too busy to be bothered, although she never came out and said a thing it was quiet obvious.

And his mediocre conversations with the town folk were limited to mumbled greetings and frivolous comments about the weather, if that. Of course there were those few exceptions, but for the better part of the people in town would go days without saying a single word to him. It got lonely, but Jamie managed.

After all, who need friends? They only stab you in the back given the chance and motivation.

Frowning as his animals grazed calmly, the same question continued to filter through his mind. Why would she, or anyone for that matter, want to leave Flower Bud? Could she be bored already? She'd only lived here for a little over two years, so how could she be disinterested in the village.

There was plenty to do. She could fish from morning to evening, a majority of the time catching plump and healthy fish to cook. Or she could explore the caves and dig for ores and gems, which can be taken to the local blacksmith for jewelry, until she passes out from exhaustion. And then there were also the festivals –

Like the one taking place tomorrow.

The Star Festival.

A soft 'humph' escaped the purple haired farmers lips and he scowled at the ground, "What a ridicules festival."

But however stupid Jamie might have thought it to be, a petite voice in the back of his head couldn't help but wonder, _'What is she going to do tomorrow?'_

* * *

The next morning, Abigail awoke early and began her morning routine.

She moved around her home like she always did and finally came to the calendar. It was the seventh day of summer and it was a festival. Sighing, she wondered if she was going to worry about it.

Truth be told, she wasn't exactly in celebratory mood today. All she wanted to do was water her plants, sell the ones that where in full bloom, possibly plants a few more in their place, and spend the entire day home or mining.

"Mining sounds good," she mumbled to herself. "Maybe I can dig up some ores to sell."

Sighing once again, she continued to glide through her home. Changing and brushed both herself and her pet, she ate a quick snack before heading out. As she opened her door, she gasped and jumped away.

Kurt was standing at her door, a hand raised to knock. An embarrassed blush tainted his cheeks as he quickly pulled his arm down and gave her a half smile. "Morning."

"Good morning," she murmured with a smile back.

Kurt became quiet, which wasn't unusual, but then he scratched the back of his head. "So. What are you doing today?" She shrugged and Kurt nodded. "How about we go sail a bamboo ship together?"

Her smile faltered, but only slightly.

There had been a hope that someone else would have been standing at her doorway asking her the very same question. Her first year here, Alex had been kind enough to ask her out, but only as friends, and it had been fun. Her second year had been her favorite. Blue had been the one to ask her that time. She had the biggest crush on the blond farmer, so it was no surprise she had spend the day in absolute bliss.

But then his engagement to Ann had effectively destroyed any hopes of advancing their relationship beyond being just friends. That was last winter, however, and a certain blue eyed bachelor had already caught her attention.

"Oh," she started, staring at the brown haired carpenter and slowly forcing herself to nod her head. "Sure! I'd love too."

Mustering at much enthusiasm as she possibly could, she grinned. She stifled a defeated sigh and resigned on her hope of having that blue eyed crush of hers to have been the one to ask her out. There was a creeping feeling that she knew it wasn't going to happened. He had been acting strange lately after all.

Kurt's smile seemed to grow a bit as he nodded, "Great. Meet me at the town Square before five then?"

"Sure."

"Okay, I'll see you then."

Waving goodbye, she watched as Kurt headed back home. Slumping her shoulders, she rested against the threshold of her home and tried to ignore the building knot at the pit of her stomach.

With a shake of her head and yet another sigh, she quickly scrapped the idea of mining. She'd have to wait to explore another time and be content with watering her plant for the moment. Tugging at her pigtails once, she pulled out her watering can and gave it an experimental shake before beginning the long process of watering her plants.

* * *

It was an hour before her – er, _date_ with Kurt and the brunette was tempted to just stay home. But it wasn't like her to just stand someone up, plus Kurt didn't deserve that.

_Sure_ he had been a tiny bit mean to her when she had just moved to the small community, with his little comment about wondering how long she'd last which had engraved itself into her memory, but still. Kurt was a friendly fellow when he wanted to be.

Besides, it would do her some good to get out of the house. She had spent all of last week working herself nearly to death in the cave. It was time for a bit of fun and distraction, if only for a few hours.

Biting the inside of her cheek, she looked herself over in the full length mirror. No longer dressed in her everyday clothing, seeing as they reeked of sweat and stained with dirt, instead, she wore a simple white and orange dress. A pair of brown colored boots, free of the clumps of dirt, finished off the outfit. For a moment, she felt like a pampered girl now that she wasn't confined to her usual sleeveless vest and short.

Tugging at her hair, she debated whether or not to leave it in her usual pigtails or loose. But with a roll of her eyes she brushed the thought side and smiled at her reflection before turning away. Fax, the ever loyal companion, barked and she grinned at the animal before patting his head.

"I'll be back soon, Fax. Don't make a mess while I'm gone, okay?"

Another bark from the canine was her answer.

With one final look at the mirror, she headed outdoors and locked the door behind her. Lingered for a moment at her door, she turned slowly wondered which path she would take to get to her destination. Lived at the ocean side gave her a few choices in paths, but she also had an hour until she was supposed to actually be there.

Shrugging, she took the longer path and headed in the direction of Saibara's shop.

* * *

Jamie watched as his animals shuffled back into the barn. It had been a boring day, but he had still been plagued with the same questions as the day before. Shockingly, he had debated whether or not to visit her today, but he wasn't certain whether she was going to be home or not. If she wasn't there, however, he could always fish at the beach and wait for her to return. But if he did that then she'd probably think he was stalking her –

"Jamie!"

Turning towards the voice, he wasn't at all surprised to see it was her. As she smiling at him, Jamie stared and was barely able to comprehend that she was speaking to him.

"Hi! I didn't think I'd catch you outside."

He nodded and she continued smiling as a single thought echoed in his mind. She looked very – "Why are you dressed like that?"

"You mean the dress?" He nodded again. "Oh, well. My other clothes were dirty and I had these laying around, so... yeah. Besides, they look nice! ...Right?"

_'Better than nice,' _a voice silently answered, but Jamie gave a curt shrug.

"Good. I didn't want to look like a mess tonight."

Azure eyes narrowed, "What's special about tonight?"

The smile on her lips faltered and he took mental note of the blush that made itself present on her cheeks. "No real reason."

Jamie made a small noise underneath his breath, but nodded.

"Well, I wish I could stay, but I'm supposed to meet someone soon."

A familiar scowl etched itself into Jamie's features, "For what?"

She cocked her head to the side, "...the festival."

The _festival_. Someone had asked her out for the festival and she _accepted_! An unexpected tightness coiled itself around his chest, forcing him to breath deeply through his nostrils as his eyes mimicked slits. "With. _Who._"

"Oh – Um, with Kurt," he caught wing off as she mumble her response with caution and a confused expression etched into her features.

The scowl only deepened on Jamie's face as he turned away from the brunette farmer. _Kurt_. What the hell was he asking her out to anything! Forcing himself to sound as calm as possible, he asked, "What are you two going to do?"

A nervous sound came from the brunette, "We're just going to sail a boat with our wishes. Why are you asking so many questions all of a sudden?"

The nonchalant tone of the response seemed to be Jamie's breaking point because as his hands balled into fists, he turned towards her and glared, "Because I can!"


	5. E is for Early Winter

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harvest Moon or its characters. This story was only written for entertainment purposes.

* * *

**Save Me From Myself**

_Chapter Five_

* * *

She flinched away from the purple haired farmer, completely unprepared for him to look like a different person with an angry scowl on his features.

Taking another step away from the farmer, she found herself remembering how Jamie had something similar to the look he was forcing her to endure when she first moved into the calm village. A warning voice in the back of her mind was screaming at her to leave, flee to somewhere safer, but she pushed the thought aside and frowned softly at the male before her.

_'Because he could'_, she mentally scoffed at the response. That wasn't a typical answer from the well vocalized man.

With a third step back, she trained her eyes onto him and inwardly sighed with relief when the icy glare faltered. If only slightly.

As she prepared herself to speak, she was instantly hushed by when the cold stare he was throwing at her intensified without warning.

Jamie tensed, but his glare lessened as he turned away from the brunette, "Go away. Have fun on your... date."

There was a harsh taste in his mouth as the word left his mouth. Silently grinding his teeth, Jamie wondered why it had suddenly becoming so hard to say and think of such a simple word without getting worked up.

Pushing aside his thoughts for the moment, he watched from his peripheral vision as her shoulders slumped forward and as she took a timid step towards him.

"But –"

"Leave."

There was a brief gap of silence before an odd sound emitted from under her breath. The temptation to turn outweighed his unexpected anger and when he turned, he inwardly cringed when she pulled farther away from him.

Brown eyes landed on him only for a moment before they glued themselves to the dirt. "Why are you being so cold? Is it the thing with Kurt? Because I – "

"Humph."

Jamie's fists balled as he broke down her statement. She called it a thing, like it was something insignificant, but he knew better. There was only one reason why someone would agree to go on a _date_ with another person and it wasn't something that was to be taken lightly.

A frown marred her face, "It is, isn't it."

"Of course not," Jamie spat with narrowed eyes.

"Then why are you so upset? All I said was that I – "

"Enough!"

"But – "

Jamie had reached his breaking point, with a dark glare he loomed over the shorter farmer and mustered the best threatening tone he would pull together. "Leave. Now. You are trespassing on my property."

* * *

"Are you enjoying yourself?"

Abigail glanced at the stoic carpenter and nodded stiffly. She felt horrible for lying to him, but how could she be having fun when the disgusting feeling at the pit of her stomach felt like it was swelling. The fact that Jamie had all but run her out of his farm wasn't helping the sickening feeling either.

Trespassing on his property. It was what he had hissed at her as she fled from the purpled haired farmer's wrath. A cold shiver enveloped her form, but it wasn't from the cool air. No, it was from remembering how distant Jamie's attitude had turned towards her after she told him about the date with Kurt. The only other time she had seen that same look on him was when the sprites has asked for her help to resurrect the Harvest Goddess.

It had taken her almost an entire year and a half to get into his good graces after that. Goddess only knows how long it was going to take her this time.

She forced a smile when Kurt turned towards her and only allowed herself to frown once his attention was away from her. Silencing a sigh, she watched as her companion dropped a bamboo boat into the stream and wondered by the purple haired farmer had taken the news so badly. And badly was putting it mildly.

It wasn't as if this was the first time she was going out on a date. He had seen her plenty of times celebrating festivals with the other villagers, so what made this one different?

"Here," she heard Kurt say. Brushing aside her troubling thoughts, she mumbled her thanks as Kurt placed a similar bamboo boat into her grasp. "Don't forget to make a wish."

Nodding, she stepped towards the bank and knelt.

_'A wish,' _she thought for a brief second before allowing a sigh to escape her parted lips and dropped the boat gently into the water, watching as it sailed away. Kurt was at her side before she realized he hand moved with a hand held out to help her stand. A second quiet thanks left her mouth as she took the offered hand and brushed away the few patched of dirt clinging to her dress.

Kurt chuckled, "What did you wish for?"

Glancing at Kurt, she noticed that he was still holding her hand in his and casually pulled it from his grasp. Shrugging, she returned her gaze to the dirt pathway and shook her head softly. "I'd rather not say."

There was a sound of understanding that came from the male at her side. Her eyes quickly made their way back to the brunet and caught the signs of a growing blush on his cheeks. A gaping moment of silence, awkward in her mind, before Kurt scratched the back of his head as he cleared his throat.

"Well, I guess it's time to head on home." Abigail nodded at the statement and turned to leave but was stopped as Kurt continued to say, "Would you mind if I walked you home?"

"No," she started slowly, forcing yet another smile on her lips, "I wouldn't mind."

Kurt nodded and she silently followed along side him as they made their way towards the ocean side.

* * *

Elsewhere, Jamie was becoming angrier by the minutes and he still found himself unable to understand why it had bothered him to much. Among the list of things he was upset at were the brunette farmer, that carpenter, and himself.

Her for accepting the invitation. _Him_ for being around her. And himself for possibly destroying what little common ground his former rival and he held.

Try as Jamie might, he still couldn't understand. It had felt as though his carefully guarded world had slowly begun to unravel around him when she told him about the date. But why? Why had he felt as if his heart had dropped to the pit of his stomach. It had stung when Nina rejected his proposal, but he couldn't remember it hurting like this. Had it been the way she had said it? So nonchalant, as if it weren't anything to be worried about when it fact it was!

… It was, wasn't it?

Maybe not to her, but to him –

_Wait. _Why was it important to him?

Jamie shouldn't have cared. It was her life after all, and yet... there was no amount of denial in the world that could have kept him from admitting that he did care. More than he was silently willing to acknowledge. But _why_?

On thing was for sure, he would have to go and apolo –

He flinched and gritted his teeth as the thought abruptly halted, but he forced himself to continue the thought. Jamie would go to her home, right this second, and tell her he was sor –

Mentally chocking on the word once again, he glared at the ground venomously. Jamie knew subconsciously what he had to do, there was no need to spell it out. In the back of his mind, however, he had considered spying on the pair. Where the thought had come from, he would never be able to explain, but just the mere thought of doing so made him feel childish. He could never see himself stoop so low, to such a deplorable level. Spying seemed to be more of what Katie excelled on and Jamie wasn't in any rush at being compared to the waitress.

It had been a little over an hour since his quarrel with the brunette farmer and he wondered if she was home already. Wondered If her date with that second-rate carpenter was over already. Jamie tensed as the sudden onslaught of 'what if' situations began pouring into his head. What if they had decided to stay out late? What if she was having the best time of her life with _him_.

That last thought along caused a scowl to appear on his face.

Shaking his head, Jamie heard his pet whine underneath the oak table. As the canine stretched lazily on the floor, an idea stuck Jamie. The dark coated dog yawned and threw its owner a curious look. A smirk stretched across his face as he crouched in front of his ever loyal canine.

"I think you could use a walk."

* * *

Abigail had hoped that Kurt and she would have parted way before reaching her home, but Kurt had other plans. He had walked her all the way to her front door and was currently hovering before her with a nervous smile. She mimicked the smile, "Thank you Kurt. You didn't have to walk me all the way here, though."

He shrugged as an attempt to keep the conversation going, "I don't mind. I had fun."

"So did I," she found herself automatically responding.

Kurt smirked, "We should do this again sometime."

The farmer froze at the words and stared at the carpenter. He looked absolutely serious and she nodded in agreement, trying to sound as enthusiastic as possible as she said: "... Again. Yeah. W-we should."

A mimicked nod was her immediate response. "Great. Well, goodnight."

A murmured farewell left her lips as she watched Kurt smile one last time at her before silently slipping away into the darkness. Once she was sure he was gone and completely alone, she sighed out loud as she leaned against her locked door. What a tiresome experience, pretending to be happy seemed to be more trouble than watering her own plants. A second sight escaped her parted lips as she rubbed her heavy eyes.

A growl from her right caused her to glance towards the sound. Her eyes widened slightly when she found Jamie standing at the edge of her property, his dog sniffing at her garden. A smile tried to make itself present on her face, but she forced herself to remain stoic. Another growl was emitted by the small black and beige animal at his side and Jamie, who was taking strives towards her, hushed the canine.

Wrapping a loose arm around her waist, she gave into temptation and gave him a small smile when he was a little less than a foot away. "Evening, stranger."

Jamie grunted and watched out of the corner of his eye as his dog roamed the brunette's property. His azure eyes made their way back to her and he clenched his jaw. She still kept smiling at him, even after he had been so hostile towards her less than two hours ago. He would have expected her to at least be a bit put off by his actions, but here she was..._ smiling _at him.

It was obvious just how considerably different from the rest of the town. Had it been anyone else he snapped at there would have been no attempt at redeeming any sort of common ground. Not from the person receiving the end of his rage, and certainly not from Jamie.

But he tensed and cleared his throat, "I – "

"It's fine," she whispered softly. "Really. It means enough to me that you're here."

Her smile only seemed to grow as she stood before him and the heavy feeling at the pit of his stomach lessened. Only when she turned away from him did he allow a small smirk play across his lips, "What makes you think you knew what I was going to say?"

The smirk disappeared when she cocked her head his direction and laughed quietly. "Well. I guess I didn't. But could we pretend that we said what needed to be said and leave it at that?"

Jamie took in the look of hope etched across her face and nodded cautiously.

She grinned and clapped her hands together, "Great!"

Huffing under his breath, he called his pet back and tipped his head in farewell.

"Oh wait," she murmured as she took a step towards him. "I was wondering. What are you doing tomorrow?"

Jamie gave an uncharacteristically shrug, "What I usually do."

"Oh."

He shifted uncomfortably at the sight of her disappointed look, "Why?"

"Well. Tomorrow is Gwen's birthday and Bob, Ellen, and I have been planning a small surprise birthday party for her." The brunette must have taken note of the uninterested look on his face because she jumped right back into her explanation with a more animated look. "I was just wondering if you'd like to come with me."

Jamie glanced away.

"It'll be fun, I promise, and not that many people will be there. It's just going to be Gwen and Bob. Carl and Ellen. You and me, and it probably won't last long. Maybe an hour, or an hour and a half, tops."

"I don't think so..."

"Oh, come on, Jamie! It'll be fun. There will be cake."

Even if Jamie tried, he couldn't hinder the smirk from making its way onto his face. Was she honestly bribing him with cake. Shaking his head, he sighed out, "No."

A frown formed on her features and she positioned her hands on either side of her hips, "Why not?"

An unexpected thought lurched into Jamie's mind, but he brushed it aside and resisted the urge to run a hand over his face. "First off, I have not reason of being there. Second off, I was not invited. And lastly, I have too much to do."

"Well, you're wrong," was her brilliant response. "I'm inviting you, and my invitation does count because I've done a third of the party planning. Also, I have tons of things to do too, but I've found a way to get an hour in for friends."

A sigh escaped his lips, "I don't think so."

And then she looked up at him, stated into his azure eyes, and said: "Please. For me?"


	6. F is for Friendship

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harvest Moon or its characters. This story was only written for entertainment purposes.

* * *

**Save Me From Myself**

_Chapter Six_

* * *

Jamie scowled.

It was obvious that he was in a foul mood. Any sane person would have had the common sense to steer clear, but clearly the young brunette by his side was completely oblivious to his current sour condition. He was going soft. It had taken a handful of pleadings and a couple of puppy dog eyes to get him to cave. He glanced over at the brunette, who was still chatting away about who knew what, and he felt the scowl on his face lessen.

She looked happy, sure she always did, but today seemed _different_. A different kind of happiness was rolling out in waves from her. Her free hand rose from her side and she smiled again before continuing to speak. He shook his head and began listening.

"... and I told her I didn't need anything, but she is so persistent! They came in the mail today, I'm wearing one today... but I think that might have been totally obvious." She cheeks turned a slight pink color and she sighed. "But anyways, this is going to be a fun birthday party. Gwen is going to be completely surprised! Do you know how hard it was for Bob to keep it a secret? Poor Bob, but it'll be worth it, right Jamie?"

He shrugged.

How was he to know about surprises? He hadn't officially celebrated his own birthday since... come to think of it, he couldn't remember the last time he actually celebrated his birthday. It was just another day in Jamie's book. It was another day filled with annoyances, maybe it added a new wrinkle here or there, and it gave him an excuse to splurge on himself. Usually in the form of a jar or two of jam from Lyla's shop.

She laughed. "What do you mean – " she mimicked shrugged. " – That's not the answer I was looking for!" Again, another shrug and she sighed in an exaggerated manner before grinnign. "Well, I think it'll be worth it. It's super hard to get anything passed Gwen. I bet the look on her face is going to be priceless!" Her hands swayed causing the basket in her hand to shake, almost loosing an egg in the process. "Ah! Oops, almost lost one there."

"Why are you bringing eggs?"

"Well, Ellen told me to bring some. Bob ate all her eggs this morning, and since she knew Carl and she were going to be super busy cooking, she asked me to get some for her."

Jamie frowned, "That doesn't make sense."

"What? Why not?"

He hesitated momentarily, "If Bob ate them this morning, she had time to pick some up herself."

The brunette was silent for a moment, "You know what, I think you're right. Weird. Wonder why she asked me to get them then. Oh well, whatever. It didn't hinder my morning anyways, I collected these eggs yesterday morning and a fresh batch this morning from my chickens."

"You don't sell you're eggs?" Jamie asked in true surprise.

She shook her head, "Nope. I keep most of my things. Lately, though, I've been selling off some of my flowers to get some cash flowing."

"Humph."

Abigail glanced at the purple haired farmer. She noticed the frown on his face. "What's wrong?"

He looked at her and for a brief moment their eyes connected. Unlike before, however, instead of having the usual uncomfortable feeling of being seen through, she felt a slight tug at her heart. It felt as if he was actually _looking_ at her, and not just because she happened to be in his line of sight. She knew her cheeks had turned a shade of pink, so she quickly looked away and gripped the egg filled basket close to her chest and tried to ignore his burning gaze.

She heard him mumble a simple 'nothing' to her question and a silence broke through the pair. The walk to the Inn suddenly seemed extremely long to the farmer. Usually she never paid any attention to the walk to and fro, but she also usually wasn't in the company of Jamie... or anyone else for that matter.

The young woman could still feel his lingering stare, but it seemed to be less heavy and critical than a few seconds before. Casting a quick glance back at him, she blushed in embarrassment at being caught and stared down at the ground as they continued walking, in silence.

* * *

Abigail squirmed in her seat, bothered by the awkward silence in the room, and threw Jamie a concerned look. That scowl was still on his face and he was still refusing to speak. She was panicking on the inside, but she portrayed her usual happy self to the rest of the party. Carl and Ellen were both in the kitchen cooking what was left for the meal. Bob and Gwen would be arriving in the next ten to twenty minutes from Bob's 'picnic' date.

She gave him another look and sighed. "Lighten up, Jamie. It's a party!" It was a light whisper, low enough for the couple a few feet away in the kitchen not to hear, but loud enough for the sulking farmer to clearly make out her words.

He, in turn, narrowed his eyes at her and remained unhappy in his little corner.

With a final sigh, she shrugged her shoulder and watched as Ellen and Carl moved around in the kitchen. They looked so happy, and if she didn't know any better, she almost had the feeling that the two cooks were in their own little world. Blissfully unaware of their audience as they laughed and playfully criticized each others cooking skills.

_'Is that what I'm missing?' _She suddenly found herself thinking back to 'the problem with no name' that had begun to bother her the first few days of summer. Was this was she was missing? Someone to love and have love her back?

If it was, then it was a little late to be making itself present. Most of the bachelors were taken, either married or in a relationship. Although there were a few that were still free, like Kurt. But Kurt seemed more like an older brother, or a really quiet, distant cousin that she would occasionally speak to at family reunions. Not a boyfriend. Then there was Basil, he may qualify into the category, but he had been acting so weird lately. She hadn't seen him for a little over a week, which was odd since he would usually be observing the growing flowers near her home. And then there was Dan, but there mere thought of having a serious relationship with that man made her nervous.

She thought for a few more seconds, trying to think of any other possible candidates. But none seemed to pop out, until...

With a glance to her side, she stared Jamie. _'No, he probably hates my guts right now.'_

He still held a frown on his face, but his attention was elsewhere. She took the opportunity to really look at him, not as the purple haired farmer who she once held a rivalry with, but as an ordinary man. They had a lot of things in common, both farmers, both good-hearted, but they were also complete opposites. She was a burst of sunshine, he was not. She was friendly with everyone she came in contact with, he was not. She held an optimistic view on life, he did not. But they sort of understood each other, and even if the rest of the town viewed it as a pity friendship, she truly enjoyed being in his company.

Gwen had once asked her why she even bothered with Jamie. Her answer at the time was that she wanted to be nice, everyone wanted someone to talk to, even if they denied in every which way. Gwen had laughed and told her that if she was so interested in the 'silent' type to try with Kurt, at least with him she'd get some positive feedback. But Kurt and Jamie were different. She knew, but she just couldn't see why everyone else in town clumped them both together in the same category.

Kurt had Joe. He still had someone that loved him, and yet he still acted distant and uninterested. With Jamie, however, she had never seen anyone make even the smallest effort to befriend him. At times, he seemed to have some sort of invisible, almost impenetrable, armor around himself, effectively denying any person the opportunity to get anywhere with him.

A sick thought suddenly stuck her. Could Jamie actually love someone? Sure, he had proposed to the pink haired gardener, but she had never once heard him say he loved her. But then again, the only reason someone would propose to someone else was because they loved that person... right?

The brunette suddenly felt like she was being watched. She blinked and found herself being stared at by the object of her attention. But he didn't look upset anymore, he actually looked –

_'No,' _she looked away and shook her head, _'the summer heat is playing tricks on me again.'_

Ellen giggled quietly. "They're coming! Come on you two, places. Don't forget to shout surprise when they walk through the door."

Standing from their seats, she and Jamie took their positions to the right on the front door, while Carl and Ellen took the left. Carl held a party favor in his hand and Ellen held a cake with 'Happy Birthday' written in big red letters. Abigail grabbed the nearest thing, which happened to be loose balloons, for both Jamie and she. She glossed over Jamie's appearance and frowned slightly.

The brunette stood on her tippy toes and pinched his cheeks, "Smile, it's a happy occasion. See, like this." She forced a smile on her lips and waited for Jamie's mirror reflection of the forced smile. Instead of smiling, he glared at her and pulled his face free, shaking his head no. She rolled her eyes. "Fine."

The door suddenly opened, causing the door to bang against the wall. Carl and Ellen shouted first, followed by her own shout of surprise and a meek, barely above a whisper, voice to Abigail's side. She grinned and openly stared at the purple haired farmer. His face was slightly flushed and he avoided all eye contact.

Waiting until all attention was directed towards the birthday girl, she gave a small sigh. "I'm glad you came Jamie, even if all you did was sulk in the corner for almost thirty minutes."

"Humph."

Laughing quietly, she turned towards him, "I am!" He gave her a skeptical look and she shrugged it off. "Whatever, come on, lets go get some cake before Bob eats it all."

Jamie was about to open his mouth to refuse the offer, but she already had her hand around his wrist. As she dragged him away from the safety of his isolation, he felt a jolt from their touch. He rarely came into contact with anyone, his animals, yes, but people, never. It felt strange being touched, willingly, but someone else, and it just happened to be one of his pet peeves. But this time... he didn't mind being touched.

He didn't mind one bit.


	7. G is for Gone, For The Moment

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harvest Moon or its characters. This story was only written for entertainment purposes.

* * *

**Save Me From Myself**

_Chapter Seven_

* * *

Jamie glared at the bob haired brunette before him. "What?"

Ellen forced a smile on her face, "Good afternoon, Jamie. I was just wondering if you'd seen Abigail? She wasn't at her house."

His scowl deepened, "No."

"Oh." Her face paled for a moment, but she quickly returned a small smile on her face. "Oh, well, okay. Um, thank you. Goodbye."

He watched in annoyance as she bobbed her head and quickly left the purple haired farmer to do his afternoon routine. He glared at the ground before returning to his work. It was true, he hadn't seen the pigtailed brunette for a little less than a week. He half expected her to pick up her daily pestering from the year before, but unfortunately that hadn't seemed like the case. She actually seemed to be deliberately avoiding all human contact. He caught sight of her, two days after Gwen's birthday party, with her hammer in toe heading towards the cave. She seemed completely oblivious to everything around her. Her mind set on only one thing. He had been half tempted to say something to her, but she was off on her own little world.

That had been a while ago, however, and he had yet to see her again. He had caved in and walked by her home, once, but was strangely disappointed to find the house dark and empty.

As he watched his animal graze, he found himself thinking back to the party. It had been nice. A pleasant distraction from the numbing repetition of constant farm work. It had been awkward at first, seeing as he and the rest of the guests had never exchanged anything more than a meaningless 'hello' or 'goodbye'. But with her friendly personality, she had managed to break the ice between them all, granted he had remained silent for a majority of the party.

Had someone told him a year ago that he'd be attending a party and enjoyed being away from his bubble of solitary, he would have laughed in that persons face and probably run them out of his property without a second thought.

"Jamie!"

He stiffened at the sudden outburst of his name. With a quick look over his shoulder, his glare lessened at the sight of a familiar smiling brunette. He huffed and turned away from her, "What is it?"

"Good afternoon!" She ignored his sour attitude and reached into her bag, pulling out a pink filled jar. "Here you go. So, do you know what tomorrow is?"

Jamie took the jar and stuffed it away, shrugging as his answer to her question. He did know, it was the Firefly Festival.

"It's the Firefly Festival!" He rolled his eyes, but said nothing. "It took me forever to find a Moonstone. I barely found one this morning, can you believe that? It takes forever to find something you're looking for, but when you're not looking for that specific thing, its just laying around for anyone to find."

"Hm."

A few seconds of silence broke through the pair and they watched the animals move around calmly. She laughed quietly. "I'm so jealous of you, Jamie! You've got the best farm in the entire town..."

He remained silent, not really sure how to react to the complement. He knew he had the best farm, but it seemed to mean a little more coming from her. He glanced at her, she still held a smile on her face and had her eyes glued on his cow. He gulped. "Why don't you have your own barn?"

She sighed. "I'd love one, but I honestly don't think I'd be very good at taking care of the animals." She cringed. "... Besides, I don't think I'd be able to take on that heavy responsibility. I'm perfectly happy with my flowers and crops, plus my chickens are enough for me for the moment." Another gap of silence ate away at their time together before she jumped. "Oh! I got another letter this morning!"

He stared at her.

"... From my cousin in Waffle Island?"

He still had no idea of what she was talking about, but he nodded.

She smiled. "Well, she says she's really happy there and that all the people there are nice. She makes the island sound amazing, it's almost tempting to visit."

He frowned. "You haven't abandoned the idea of moving."

Abigail felt her smile drop, but she shrugged. "No. I mean... I feel like there is more out there and by staying here... I'll be missing out on it." She stole a glance towards him, but his face gave nothing away. It was emotionless. "Besides, its not like..." she hesitated. _'It's not like I have a reason to stay,' _she thought glumly.

Her one possible reason for her to stay had finally showed his face the day after Gwen's birthday. Unfortunately, she had accidentally stumbled upon him... lip locked with a certain pink haired, green eyed girl. But it should have come as much of a surprise, Nina and Basil had a lot in common. Almost as much as she and Jamie.

But still, what a hell of a picker she was when it came to the opposite sex.

For the past couple of days, she had devoted her time and energy into the caves, hoping that it would distract her from the small hiccup. And it had worked, for the most part anyways. Evidently, however, it seemed that the flora couple wanted to keep their relationship a secret from the rest of the town because she hadn't heard a single word about the subject. So she had kept her mouth closed about the subject as well, she wasn't in any hurry to become the next gossip box. Seeing as Katie was doing such a wonderful job in that department. Besides, it just wasn't in her nature to blab about something like that.

"Not like what?"

The brunette jumped at the sound of his voice. She shook her head, "Nothing, never mind." He didn't look convinced, so she jumped onto a new subject. "So, about the festival tomorrow. Are you going to be there this time?"

He shrugged.

"That's not an answer." She smiled at him. "I hope you will be there." There was a moment of silence. "Well, I better get going. I don't want to waste your time anymore and I have to deposit the Moonstone I found earlier today. I'll see you tomorrow?"

Jamie refrained from smirking, but nodded. She gave him another smile and waved goodbye, running out of his farm towards the town square. He sighed silently.

One of these days, she was going to be his undoing.


	8. H is for Happiness

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harvest Moon or its characters. This story was only written for entertainment purposes.

* * *

**Save Me From Myself**

_Chapter Eight_

* * *

The brunette frowned and plucked at the ugly weeds.

Her beautiful garden was coming under attack, seemingly overnight, and she was desperate to remove all those unsightly weeds from her pride and joy. Growling underneath her breath, she pushed away the loose strands of hair from her face and grimaced at the patches left to be plucked. She sat back on her heels and sighed. What a way to start a festival, could things get any worse?

"Hey, Abigail."

She inwardly cringed. It seemed like the Goddess was against her today. With a short look over her shoulder, she forced a smile on her lips. "H-hey Kurt... you're... um up early."

He shrugged. "No earlier that usual."

She just smiled and quickly stood to her feet. Brushing the dirt of her work clothes, she pushed back her hair and cleared her throat. "... So, what's up?"

He seemed to hesitate with his words, "Well, the festival is tonight and I-"

Someone cleared their throat behind the brunet and the farmer was the first to react, "Jamie!"

Jamie held his composure at the sight before him. His eyes instantly glued themselves to the apprentice and they narrowed in pure annoyance.

Kurt was standing close, too close for his liking, to the pigtailed farmer, who was in turn was smiling brightly at him. The male brunet seemed to shifted uncomfortably and took a step away from hi- er, from Abigail. She took several steps towards the purple haired farmer. He faintly heard her repeat her greeting before turning her attention back to the carpenter. Jamie glared darkly at the apprentice and silently dared him to continue with his invitation.

He noted his rivals tense posture and inside he was smirking in triumph.

Abigail blinked, blissfully unaware of the menacing figure lurking behind her, and smiled at Kurt. "I'm sorry, Kurt, what were you saying?"

Kurt scratched the back of his head. "Oh. Nothing. I... I'll see you at the festival tonight."

Jamie let his smirk show on his face and Kurt threw the purple haired farmer an icy glare before retreating.

Abigail mumbled a soft goodbye as she watched the carpenter leave, confused, but relieved that she wouldn't have to worry about another invitation from Kurt. She turned back to him and continued to smile.

She stared at him, expecting something to be said, and Jamie gave her the smallest smile he could muster. That action alone seemed to have made her even happier than she already was and it made her cock her head to the side in amusement. "You smiled!"

He fought off the blush that was threatening to appear. "Humph. Don't make such a big deal about something so frivolous."

"But I have too! It like never happens!" She giggled. "I'll have to mark this day on my calendar as 'The Day Jamie Smiled' instead of the Firefly Festival." He gave off his usual 'humph' sound and crossed his arms in front of his chest. She sighed and held a soft smile. "I'm sorry, I won't comment on that again. So, why are you here? I mean... not like I don't mind you being here, but... you don't usually come to talk to me this early... or when there are people around. But well, I guess that isn't necessarily true anymore sin-"

But the rest of her statement was lost after Jamie mumbled a few words underneath his breath. Catching only a few bits and pieces, she stared at him and felt her mouth twitch upwards. Had he just –

"I'm sorry, what?"

She noted the dark blush on his cheeks and how he avoided her eyes.

"I... I said... do you... wanttogo tothefestival withme..."

Jamie felt like his face was on fire. He couldn't believe he had actually let those words out of his mouth, let alone for a second time! He expected her to instantly turn him away. Instead, she surprised him by grinning and nodding her head. "I'd love too!"

He blinked and stuttered. "Y-you would...?"

She nodded. "Of course! Where do you want to meet up? At the beach or..."

"The beach." He flushed. "I-I'll meet you there."

She seemed to glow with happiness and a small squeal escaped her lips as she clasped her hands together. "Great! I'll see you then. I'll see you tonight."

He nodded, still flustered, and watched as she gave him one last smile before dashing down the street. His stood there, staring off into the direction she had run off too, and sighed. There was a strange fluttering feeling at the pit of his stomach, but he ignored it. A new presence made itself known to his right.

"What was that about."

Jamie snapped his head towards the cold voice. His eyes narrowed. Kurt was standing a few feet away. The cool carpenter had his arms crossed in front of his chest and he mimicked the icy stare Jamie's icy was throwing at him.

"What game are you playing, Jamie?"

Jamie scowled at the carpenter. "Mind your own business, carpenter."

"She _is_ my business." Jamie scoffed, but Kurt continued. "Don't think I'm giving up on her so easily."

He held his dark stare. "So be it. I am no stranger to rivalries." Kurt was delusional if he thought his silly little confession would have helped him try to keep him from pursuing the brunette farmer. And by the look of astonishment on his face, that seemed to have been the only available card in his hand to play. Jamie turned away. "I hope you know, Kurt, that you are going to regret ever crossing paths with me."

* * *

Saying she was shocked would have been an understatement, Abigail was _floored_ by Jamie's invitation. She hadn't expected that, not even in her wildest of dreams, and she hadn't expecting the burst of warmth that had seemed to engulf her entire being. It had felt like her heart and soul had been lifted from the tormented they had fallen victim to for the past week or so.

Her jaw was beginning to hurt from the huge smile on her face, but she couldn't will away the happiness. She was going to a festival with Jamie.

Pulling her hair into their signature ponytails, she eyed the pale purple dress and matching flats her cousin had sent her from Waffle Island. The outfit looked very plain, but still had an adorable appeal to it. She wondered if Jamie would approve of the dress. A blush heated her face as she shook her head.

She pulled the dress on and heard Fax whine from the kitchen. Turning towards the whining animal, only after she had successfully zipped the back of the dress, she sighed at the sight of Fax pawing at the refrigerator. "I know, I know!" She moved to the black fridge and pulled her pet away. "What will it be today, Fax? Some honey?"

The beige canine shook his head.

"No. Then fish?" His floppy ears seemed to perk up and she giggled. "Good choice." She pulled out a small carp. "Enjoy, Fax."

He barked and went on his merry way with the carp firmly grasped in his jaw.

She took one last quick sweep of her home before bidding her pet, who was too preoccupied with the carp, and left.

* * *

Jamie glared daggers at every person at the beach, but on the inside he was on edge. Anxious to get this date over with, but also extremely worried of messing up. He had never asked anyone to the festivals before. Not even Nina, which was odd now that he looked back. What had he found so darn intriguing about her in the first place?

He fidgeted when the elderly doctors aide came to his side. She wore a calm smile. "Good evening, Jamie." She paused for a moment, staring at him with curiosity. "Are you alright? You seem a little uneasy."

"I'm fine." He shot back, avoided the womans accusing stare and silently prayed for anything to distract her.

Thankfully, he didn't have to pray for too long. "Hi Martha!"

Jamie stared at the new presence. It was her, in a dress the same shade as his hair. Martha cooed at the brunette. "Oh, Abigail, don't you look lovely."

She flushed and smiled. "Thank you." Martha excused herself, and Jamie half wondered if the older woman was intentionally given them some time to themselves. The soft whisper she and Abigail made caused his suspicion to rise. Her cheeks turned a light pink color as she waved off the doctors aide. She took in a deep breath and smiled at him. "Hi!"

He mumbled his greeting, still self conscious about speaking freely with her in public. It seemed much more easier to speak when it was just the two of them alone, but with other people, possibly listening in, it was almost impossible for him to start or continue any sort of conversation. She didn't give any sign on being bothered by the fact. She simply continued smiling and remained just as quiet as he was.

His nerves caused him to begin questioning his actions. Jamie gave a quick glance around the beach and noted a few couples at the festival. Blue and Ann were idly talking to one another by the shore, and Ellen and Carl seemed oblivious to what was going on around them. He frowned at the sight of both brunet carpenters.

Abigail noted the frown on his face and with a quick look over her shoulder she understood his sudden shift of mood. She turned back towards him and moved to block his view. "Jamie?" His eyes snapped to hers. She smiled and retrained herself from touching the purple haired farmer. "... um, lets go watch the festival."

He nodded, but his eyes returned to the carpenter brothers. Her smile dropped slightly and she stood next to him, watching in silence as the moonstones were lit and sailed off into the ocean. The rest of the night was spent in silence. She shivered and wrapped her arms around herself. She nearly jumped out of her skin when Jamie moved closer towards her and felt a jolt of... something run through her body from a simple, innocent, and brief touch of hand to arm.

He didn't say anything and he didn't pull away. She tried not to stare, but she looked up at him and noted he had a faint rosy color on his cheeks. Her own face felt like it was heating and she quickly whispered her thanks.

All attention was away from the pair, all except a certain brunet carpenter.


	9. I is for Igniting A Spark

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harvest Moon or its characters. This story was only written for entertainment purposes.

* * *

**Save Me From Myself**

_Chapter Nine_

* * *

"...They're supposed to get married in the fall. You should have seen the huge smile on her face."

Jamie looked away from his horse and stared at the brunette farmer. Since their date, which was only a few days earlier, it had become a daily routine for her to come to his farm. First thing in the early morning and talking to him about _everything_.

He should have found it annoying, but he didn't. He was actually relishing the feeling, and a bit prideful that he was the first person she saw in the morning, but that was beside the point. He felt it odd, however, that she manged to make these short visits as if they were nothing out of the ordinary. It was almost like they'd always shared their mornings together, alone and away from the rest of the towns prying eyes.

He felt something, it was a good, but foreign, feeling. Almost like a weight had been lifted from him and in its place was her. But as joyful as he may have been on the inside, his outer appearance gave nothing away. He was still the cold, arrogant, and heartless farmer every one in town came to begrudgingly accept into their community.

Except for when it came to her.

Jamie still acted as if her constant visits bothered him, but he never responded with more than the usual 'humph' and put up her insipid talks. In his mind, so long as she was with him and away from that ignorant carpenter, he could bare with the meaningless information.

He frowned at the remembrance of Kurt, but her laugher brought his attention back to the brunette sitting across from him. She continued talking, about what he didn't pay much attention to, and played with the hay nearby. Jamie brushed the large animal before him and listened.

"Martha keeps telling me that I need a better diet. But I think she was just passing along a message from Alex." She sighed. "I swear, he worries to much. I mean, I know he's a doctor and all, but I think I can take care of myself."

Jamie smirked, freely since the horse blocked their sight of each other.

His brushing slowed and he found himself pondering. How, in the time span of less than two months, had he found himself so at ease with the farmer? It was a bit unnerving, coming to the realization that he actually enjoyed her invading his personal sanctuary.

Now that he thought about it, he had never allowed anyone to enter his barn. It was his save haven from the soft muttering of all the towns people, as was his home. With another glance towards her, he found himself wondering about unexpected things. Jamie frowned, not willing to be plagued with said thoughts.

At least, not now.

The brunette laughed once more and Jamie could see her arms stretched upwards. "I can't believe summer is almost over! It went by so fast, like..." she made a 'swoosh' sound effect, "... that! Before you know it, the Fireworks Festival will be here one second and gone the next."

Jamie returned to his brushing and heard her continue. Had this exact same situation been presented to him almost a year ago, he would have been disgusted. Here he was, thrilled to have her as his company, hellbent of keeping that idiotic carpenter from her, and at peace when she was pleased.

He pulled away from him horse and dropped the brush beside it. Wiping away his hair from his face, he looked at her again. She was still chatting away and he sighed. This was one of the few times he felt extremely relaxed and comfortable, however...

"Abigail..." She looked at Jamie expectantly. He should have said something nice, or at least let her know he enjoyed her company. Maybe he could have even asked her why she visited so often. Had the date really meant that much to her? Instead, he swallowed and averted his eyes from the brunettes shinning gaze. "Please be quiet."

Jamie looked back at her, expecting to find her scowling at him, but it shocked him to find her smiling and nod softly. She didn't look at all upset, nor did she look perplexed by his request.

"Okay." She didn't stutter, it came out as a calm and understanding response. She stood from her position and grinned at him. "I've better get going."

A sudden slap of uneasiness washed over him. Was she really upset with him, but would rather not display her true feelings to him. She noted his stiff appearance and her grin seemed to grow smaller.

"It's not because you told me to hush, Jamie. I have to, I'm supposed to meet up with Ellen today and help her with the wedding arrangements. Weren't you listening to me earlier?"

Jamie relaxed his posture, but turned away. "Of course I was."

She giggled softly. "Sure you were." He frowned, but said nothing more. A soft sigh was emitted from behind him and she came to his side, a pink jar of jam in her grasp.

He took the gift, already knowing what it was and that it was meant specifically for him. Yesterday it had been Blueberry, it seemed like today was Very Berry. He wanted to thank her, but instead a quiet 'humph' escaped his lips. She mumbled something underneath her breath, but he wasn't able to catch it.

Clasping her hands together, she smiled. "Okay, well I'll see you later." He turned back towards her and reached for her wrist. She halted her steps and stared at Jamie with curiosity. "What's wrong?"

Jamie briefly wondered if he was actually going to follow through with his intentions. What if she didn't like his gift? He had to ask that accessory shop owner what would be good gift. She had answered him back with a simple response: _"So long as it is a gift from someone special, any gift will suffice."_

It had perplexed him. Any gift would be fine, as long as it was from someone special. What did that mean? He pulled out the gift and presented it to her. It was a simple, small, lilac vase. "Here."

The brunette stared at the vase and Jamie briefly feared the worse. "Jamie..." she trailed off and took the vase from his hands. "Thank you." Her eyes lifted from the lilac vase and stared into his azure orbs. "It's beautiful, but... you didn't have to get me anything."

Jamie gave a silent sigh of relief. She liked it, good. He remained quiet and watched her continue to comment about the little vase.

She suddenly stopped talking and stood in front of him, they were mere inches from each other. Jamie froze as he watched her stand on her toes and as her lips briefly brushed against his cheek. She pulled away, slowly, and smiled up at him. "Thank you, Jamie."

And with that, she was gone. Leaving Jamie speechless as his hand timidly reached for his tingling skin.


	10. J is for Just A Dream

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harvest Moon or its characters. This story was only written for entertainment purposes.

* * *

**Save Me From Myself**

_Chapter Ten_

* * *

The room was filled with the scent of baked goods, the sound of feminine laughter, and the slowly diminishing smell of blooming summer flowers. Gwen and Abigail sat together, quietly chattering, while Ellen placed a new plate of freshly baked goodies on the table they were seated at. The bubbly brunette sat and pulled at the local wedding magazines before the three females.

"Tomorrow, we should go into town and pick out a dress for you and bridesmaid dresses for Abigail and myself. I asked my dad for the day off." Gwen chimed in, refusing Ellen's offer for a sweet.

Ellen nodded, enthusiastically. "That will work for me perfectly. Abigail?"

She nodded as well. "Sure, no problem with me. I just have to water my crops and feed my chicken before we go. I've never been to town before."

Gwen gasped. "Really? Never? You're going to love it, Abby. It's almost three or four times the size of Flower Bud. So many more shops and people to meet. It can be a little intimidating at first, though."

Ellen giggled. "Oh, I'm sure Abigail can handle it! She was a city girl after all."

"Keyword being _was_." Gwen pointed out.

They two village girls continued their giggles, while Abigail rolled her eyes at the two girls. "Okay, okay, enough before you two faint on me because of the giggle fits."

Ellen was the first to return to earth and she cleared her throat. "I'm sorry, Abigail. But on to a new topic, I didn't see you at the Fireworks festival this year. How come?"

"Yeah, I noticed Jamie wasn't there either." Gwen added, a sly smile on her face.

"I- I was busy." She answer, only receiving a collective unconvinced look from both girls. She shot them a frown. "I _was_ busy, for your information. I was up in the mountains and lost track of time, I watched the fireworks from the bridge up there."

"Really..." Gwen toyed with a baked good nearby. "And, who else was with you?"

A blush tainted her cheeks before she had a chance to will it away. "No one. I was completely alone. And it was sad and depressing."

Gwen gave an imitated pout. "How sad. Jamie and you seemed like you were both getting along _pretty _well at the party."

Ellen nodded. "You noticed too!"

Abigail shook her head and waved her hands in the air. "No. No! We're just friends!"

"Denial~!" Gwen sang out. She smirked and bite into the baked cookie in her hand. "Denial," she spoke while chewing the sweet, "is the first step to acceptance, my dear. I'm so proud of you for willing to admit."

Ellen and Gwen broke out into a fit of laughter. Abigail, however, shook her head and threw each girl a glare before biting into her own sweet.

* * *

Abigail felt like she was in a fog, a warm and pleasant, fuzzy feeling kind of fog. She couldn't see what was in front of her, nor behind or on either side, but she knew she was in some sort of room. But what kind of room would be filled with fog? Pink fog at that!

She shook her head, hoping for some clarity, and jumped at the feeling of a light hand on her shoulder. With a quick swivel of her head, she came face-to-face with a ruby eyed, blond haired, smiling face. She blinked and said face came into a clearer view. It was Gwen.

"Gwen? What are you doing here?"

Gwen laughed. "What are you talking about? I'm here to help you get ready, silly!" She tsked and took a hold of Abigail's wrist. "Look at you, still dressed in your everyday clothes! We don't have time for this, Abby. You're going to be late!"

_'Late?'_ Abigail stumbled to keep up with the blond. "Late for what?"

She was met with another laugh. "Oh, man, Abby. You're nerves must be taking their toll on you. Don't worry, Ellen said it was normal to feel like that."

_'What?'_

Abigail shook her head. Nothing was making sense. She briefly closed her eyes and opened them to find herself in a new room. She was standing in front of a full body mirror, her reflection staring back at her... dressed in a _white gown_. Her breath hitched when she realized she was in a wedding dress and it was beautiful.

A bit tight on the bust area, but gorgeous none the less. It was a strapless, beaded, shimmery material, princess styled dress, completed with elbow length silk gloves. "I look like a cake topping."

Gwen appeared out of thin air and laughed. "You do not! You look beautiful and I bet the groom would completely agree."

Her head snapped towards the blond. "Who is my groom?"

With a perplexed look, Gwen gave a short and nervous laugh. "Stop kidding around, Abby, you're starting to scare me." Abigail wanted to speak again, but was dismissed by Gwen. "Okay, no more playing around. We're going to be late! I still have to fix your hair and do your make-up."

_'This can't be happening,'_ she thought, tightly closing her eyes while she felt Gwen move around her. She felt herself being guided to a chair and suddenly her ears roared with the sound of whispers and laughter.

Upon opening her eyes, she found herself standing before two large oak doors. She stiffened and glanced around. She was alone, still dressed in the wedding dress, a veil disrupting her view and a bouquet of blue mist flowers in her grasp.

Theodore, much like Gwen had before, appeared out of thin air and outstretched his arm towards her. "Are you ready, dear?"

She wanted to shake her head, scream no, but instead, she placed her gloved hand onto his arm. The doors opened as soon as they made contact. A blinding light momentarily blinded her, causing her free hand to rise to shield her from the light. It was a small church that came into view, with all the pews filled with the towns people of Flower Bud Village.

Then a new sound filled her ears.

The bridal march began.

She felt her body betray her as it moved along with the music, Theodore following right beside her. As she walked down the isle, her eyes drifted from face to face. They all looked so happy, for her. Her stomach tightened as they neared the end of their walk. She quickly looked for her groom, but the upper half of his body was hidden by an arch of flowers.

Cruel fate, denying her a chance to see her soon-to-be husband, until she stood next to him. But even then, Theodore seemed to prolong the unbearable anxiety. The mayor smiled at her, placing a father-like kiss on her hand, and lifted the veil from her face.

The march was nearly reaching its end and it was only then that Theodore pulled away. She gaze the husky man and smiled at him before facing forward. Her heart seemed to be pounding out of her chest, the grip on her flowers tightened, and she hesitated with her glance to her right.

Who ever he was, he seemed to be staring at her. And even though she hadn't made eye contact with him yet, she could feel the happiness radiating off of him. It was intoxicating. Her eyes leveled with his face and she could only gasp.

* * *

Abigail gasped and abruptly sat up.

Her head swung from side to side, but all that she was met with was the darkness and emptiness she had gone to sleep with. Her heart rung loudly in her ears and her fists clutched painfully tight against the sheets. "Oh, Goddess, I just dreamed I was marrying... _Jamie_."


	11. K is for Kiss

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harvest Moon or its characters. This story was only written for entertainment purposes.

* * *

**Save Me From Myself**

_Chapter Eleven_

* * *

_'Just friends', _she groaned silently as her famous last words ran a muck.

Abigail nervously bit the inside of her cheek, throwing Gwen and Ellen a short nod and forced smile. It had been nearly impossible for her to return to sleep after her –

She shook her head, unsure of whether to call it a nightmare or one of the best dreams she's had in a long time. Her eyes lowered to the boutiques tiled pink floor. She could never call it a nightmare,. it had been so... so...

"Hey, are you okay, Abby? You look like you've got something on your mind."

She jumped and stared at Gwen. "N-no! I'm fine." She gave a forced laugh and lightly tapped her temple. "Just trying to remember if I fed Fax before I left this morning. He can be such a grouch when I forget to leave him something to munch on."

Gwen raised her eyebrow, obviously not truly believing the brunette's explanation, but nodded slowly. "Oh. Okay. Well, let's take a seat while we wait for Ellen to get dressed in a sample gown."

"Yeah. Sure."

Even as she tried to distract herself from her dream, it still made itself painfully obvious. She wondered if it had meant anything. It couldn't have, it was just probably her imagination running a muck. It was just because Ellen was getting married, that was it. It had to be that. "Gwen?"

"Hm?"

"Um..." She hesitated. Could she trust Gwen with what was about to leave her mouth? The brunette glanced over at the blond. "Promise me something. What we are about to speak can never be repeated again." Gwen gave her friend a confused look, but Abigail looked seriously at her. "Promise me."

Gwen nodded. "Okay, I promise. What's wrong, Abby?"

"I had..." She voice lowered. "Well, I had a dream last night. It was... strange."

Gwen leaned into the conversation. "Strange? Good strange or bad?"

"I- I don't know? Good, I guess." She answered while shrugging. "It was of a wedding, does it mean anything?"

Gwen cocked her head to the side. "Who was getting married?" Abigail looked away and took a bit too long to answer back. Gwen's mouth formed a perfect 'o' and she leaned back into her seat. "You? Who were you marrying?"

"I don't know. I woke up before I could see his face." She lied, forming the most believable frown. "You were there, in my dream."

"Oh?" Gwen perked up and pushed her chair closer towards the brunette. "Was I now? Was it a double wedding or something? I was remarrying Bob, right?"

Abigail smiled, but shook her head. "No, you were helping me get ready."

Gwen's eyes dropped. "Oh. Well, that still sounds like fun, though."

"But, what does it mean? Or, does it mean anything at all?" Abigail bit the inside of her cheek again. "Or maybe it's just Ellen's wedding that's got me dreaming about things like this? I mean, how could I marry-" She stopped herself before giving too much away.

"Oh, Abby, it's normal! Trust me, every girl has that dream once in their life. It's just a subconscious wish, to be married and live happily ever after. Like in the stories we were told while growing up." Gwen answered as she brushed away invisible dirty from her sample bridesmaid dress.

"So you've had a dream like that? A wedding dream?" She asked in a hushed voice.

Gwen blushed, suddenly finding a hanging picture extremely interesting. "Yeah... Once."

Abigail smiled again and stared at her hands, which were resting on her lap. "Then it doesn't mean I like him."

"I thought you said you didn't see your groom?"

* * *

Jamie noted a change in her.

The brunette wasn't acting like she usually did.

She was nervous, quiet, and he hadn't seen her give him a real smile the entire two hours. He didn't like it, but he didn't want her thinking he was actually worried about her, even if it was true. She had only spoken three times, and those responses were short answers. It was late, maybe she was just tired.

She yawned, bringing a hand to hide it from his sight, and it only cemented his hunch.

He glanced around, his animals were already following their daily routine and were shuffling into the barn. As he gave a short nod in approval, he took long strides towards the sitting brunette, who was entertaining herself with his dark coated canine. She gave a quiet giggle as the animal lapped at her hand, obviously smitten by the extensive attention.

Jamie leaned against the purple fence, staring at the scene before him, and he felt strangely at peace. He wasn't contemplating a game plan for the day to come. He wasn't scheming a plan to out do Blue in the upcoming sheep competition. He wasn't doing any of his usual actions after a long days work. No, instead he was watching the brunette play with his traitorous canine and enjoying the sight of a true smile on her lips.

He shook his head and sighed. "I heard you went into town."

The farmer looked up at him, her smile slowly diminished, and nodded. "I did, but... didn't I tell you that too? At the bridge while we watched the fireworks together."

Her voice became a whisper by the time she reached the middle of her second sentence. It was true. She had mentioned it to him, but he had also heard it from a couple of people the entire morning. "How was it?"

She sighed and continued running a hand through the canines head. "It was fun, we spent most of our time at the bridal shop. Ellen's dress is so pretty, simple and so like her. Our dresses are pretty too. They're... very green."

Jamie gave a small smile. "Green?"

"Well, it's not hideous, but it's really green. A pretty pale green, though, none of the neon stuff." She cringed and shook her head. They were silent for a moment before he heard her speak up again. "Jamie?" He stared at her. "Did you – Did you ever really love Nina?"

He stiffened. She looked away from him and hung her head low. He hadn't thought about the pink haired gardener since his rejected proposal. It took him a moment to come to the realization that, no, he had never really loved her. He had only been enticed with the idea of having someone by his side, he had become tired of being alone. She had, unintentionally, filled the void with her random appearances when he was out.

Now that he thought back, they had never spoken much. An occasional greeting, but nothing like what he and the brunette sitting before him shared. He doubted he could handle a long period of time speaking with the pink haired young woman. Whereas her voice was high pitched and shrilly, the brunette's was the opposite, her voice was soft and inviting.

Jamie's attention was redirected away from his thoughts, from his peripheral vision he noticed that she stood from her seat and proceeded to walk away. Jamie acted quickly and grabbed her wrist before she could make it far.

She pulled at her hand and still avoided eye contact.

It bothered him to have her refusing to look at him. He grabbed her chin and raised it, forcing her to look at him. The brunette was blushing, but there was also a gloss in her eyes that didn't sit right with him. In the back of his mind, he wondered how many of the towns people were watching.

Was this going to be the talk of the town tomorrow morning? It was a nagging voice in the back of his head, but he ignored it and actually inched closer, forcing both their faces to come together with only a small gap between them.

"No."

"No?" She echoed back, her blush deepening.

He shook his head. "No."


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harvest Moon or its characters. This story was only written for entertainment purposes.

* * *

**Save Me From Myself**

_Chapter Twelve_

* * *

Abigail blushed and ran her fingers over her lips. He had almost kissed her. She could still feel his breath on her lips and it sent a chill down the spine. Almost, inches apart, she had even felt a light brush. Her fingers stopped dancing across her lips – Did that count as a kiss?

What constituted a kiss anyways? Was it full weight from each party or did a simple brush count just as equally?

She pulled her hand away and shook her head. What was she doing? Debating with herself over an accidental brush of flesh. He had pulled away like the brief contact had burned him. The thought of him disliking their touch produced a painful grip around her heart. What if he – She gripped her head and shot Fax a sad smile.

Dropping to her knees, she rubbed the beige dogs head and sighed. "Do you think he could ever see me as more than a friend?"

Fax gave his master a confused look and rubbed its head against her palm. He barked, pulling away from the contact, and licked at her hand.

The smile slid off of her face and she stared sadly at the canine. "... I don't think so either."

Even that declaration didn't seem to help her forget what almost was. Her hand returned to her lips and she briefly wondered, how would it feel? To have his lips against hers? Would he had kissed her timidly or was he more of a passionate kisser? She blushed and a shy smile spread across her face.

Her eyes closed and she could see his face in her mind. They snapped open and she ran a shaky hand through her hair, removing the band holding it up. She was acting like a lovestruck school girl, why? It wasn't like he would ever return the feelings, would he?

Her gaze fell and she sighed, bitterly coming to the realization that – no – he would never, ever, see her as anything more that just a friend. She gave a cold laugh, shaking her head in disbelief. "Don't be stupid, Abigail. He probably – " She felt the throat constrict and an unexpected sob escaped her lips " – He probably don't even like me bothering him every day."

She wiped away the tears and groaned in frustration, silently wondering why it hurt so much to think that and wishing it would just go away.

Fax barked at his masters distress.

Abigail stared at the ball of beige and sniffled. "What's wrong with me? I've never felt so horrible in my entire life. Am I coming down with something?" Fax whimpered. She ran her hand through her hair again and nodded. "I must. I must be sick or something."

-

Jamie paced back and forth. He had almost kissed her. A simple lean of his head and he would have had his lips against hers. But he had pulled away, too suddenly, and had unintentionally teased himself with a brush of flesh.

What had he been thinking? He had never planned on leaning it and confusing himself. She was only a tolerable acquaintance and she was probably angry at him now. But the way she had looked at him, with those big brown glossed eyes, and the flush on her skin. His body had moved on its own.

He had been so closer that he could still remember the flowery scent surrounding her. It was intoxicating and much more pleasant that the assaulting smell of hours spent working on his farm. He had also been close enough to see the shock and disappointment in her face when he had pulled away.

He expected many emotions to have played on her face, but disappointment was not one of them.

The sight of that emotion filled him with – with pride? It spread a sense of unexplainable happiness throughout his entire body. It meant that she had wanted a kiss, right? Why else would she had looked so let down?

A bark brought him back to reality. His pet gazed up at him with a confused appearance.

He threw off the large hat from his person and glared at the air. "What the hell am I thinking." Pulling off his top layer of clothing, he stalked towards his bed and threw the discarded garment onto it. "To think I would waste my precious time on something so – so –"

Another back.

"Exactly." He nodded at his pet. "So ludicrous."

He wasn't about to let an accidental loss of his sanity distract him from more pressing matters. One of those matters being the upcoming sheep festival. He wasn't going to bother with whether or not she would be upset with him – even though the fear of that was slowly creeping into his head. He wasn't going to ponder over why he had almost kissed his former rival – even though he wanted nothing more than to know why.

If they crossed paths again – which he was sure they would see each other in the morning to come – he would act as if nothing had happened. He hoped she would follow suit, but a little part of his chest ached at the thought of dismissing what almost was between them.

Why did it feel like a large weight of uneasiness had taken refuge at the pit of his stomach? Why did it feel like there was a sharp pain in his chest when he thought about whether or not she would refuse to see him again.

Jamie froze and stared at the ground as it suddenly hit him.

He was –

Was he –

He shook his head and ran a free hand through his hair. "I must be sick..."

* * *

_R&R._

**A/N:** So sorry for disappearing like that! I've been working on another story none stop the last couple of weeks.

**Playlist:** "Kryptonite" by 3 Doors Down.


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harvest Moon or its characters. This story was only written for entertainment purposes.

* * *

**Save Me From Myself**

_Chapter Thirteen_

* * *

"The sickness you are suffering from is called _love_, child." Martha spoke while smiling a motherly smile. With the patients only a woman of immense wisdom could have possibility possessed, she ushered the shocked brunette into a private room and watched in amusement as the young woman began to stutter.

Abigail's face grew a bright red, almost the color of a riped tomato ready to be picked and eaten. Her stuttering slowly progressed into short, raspy scoffs, all the while throwing the older nurse looks of pure disbelief.

"No." Abigail whispered back, afraid that Alex and, his soon-to-be wife, Gina would overhear their conversation. "No. No. No! A-Are you sure it's not just some bug going around? The flu? Maybe an animal illness that rubs off on human when are exposed to it for a long period of time? Or – "

Martha laughed softly, shaking her head in even more amusement at the sudden explosion of extraordinary knowledge of health risks the shocked brunette had managed to acquire in the matter of five minutes.

"Now, Abigail, please calm down and have a seat." Martha waited until the young farmer complied with her request before continuing. "You have caught a bug – "

"I knew it!" Abigail interrupted in a loud tone with an all knowing look on her face.

Martha momentarily ignored the outbursts, simple rolling her eyes behind her glasses and patting the young womans hand affectionately. "It's called a love bug, but it is only a fictional 'bug'. When I was your age, the girls all used to tease each other with having 'caught the love bug' if you felt flushed when you are around a certain boy. Or if you always found yourself smiling at the mere remembrance or mention of said boy."

Abigail nodded slowly, not entirely keen on admitting that she was experiencing the flushed feeling or having a serious case of the uncontrollable smiles at the mention of... of Jamie. Her face grew hot and a small smile began to form on her lips. _Goddess!_ It was true! She looked up at Martha and forced the smile that was threatening to explode on her face to go away. Forming a believable frown, she shook her head and ran a free hand through her loose hair.

"Is there a cure?"

Martha laughed and shook her head. "Oh, child. No, there is no cure. Why would you want one? Love is a wonderful thing to experience, and I believe it is about time you allowed yourself the opportunity to love and be loved in return."

Abigail looked away in distress. No cure, wonderful, but what was she expecting. It was a childish question to ask, but she just had to know. Falling in love with... Jamie wasn't an opportunity, it was more like a possible disaster. Her heart ached at the thoughts that began to run ramped, each scenario played out her confession to him and he would repeatedly reject her.

"Are you alright?"

"Fine." She lied.

"Who is the lucky man?"

She flinched and slowly shook her head, casting a curious glance towards the door when a feminine yelp echoed from the room behind it. "No one."

"Oh, sweetheart... it is not Alex is it?"

She tore her eyes away from the closed door and stared at Martha with wide eyes. "No! He's like the big brother I've never had. No. No. No. That would be very... awkward to say the least."

Martha gave a sigh of relief and nodded.

They sat in silence, each lost in their own thoughts, until the door was suddenly opened. Martha stood from her seat and Abigail jumped in hers, neither were expecting to see a concerned purple haired farmer standing at the entrance. It was then when Abigail mimicked the gray haired nurses actions and stood from her own seat, her face slowly heating up from the odd look Jamie was giving her. She licked her lips nervously and inched towards her safety net, Martha, as her former rival stepped into the room. He paused his actions and the odd look was quickly replaced by one of apathy.

"Good morning, Jamie. A pleasant surprise to see you here this early, was Alex unavailable?" Martha folded her arms in front of her and confidently strolled towards the free entrance.

Jamie shrugged his shoulders, keeping his eyes locked onto the brunette farmer, before answering in a low voice. "Hn."

Martha, not at all fazed by the lackluster response, nodded and smiled. "Did you hear the news?" Jamie finally looked away from Abigail, successfully avoiding drawing unwanted attention to his inexplicable staring, and watched at the smile on the older womans face grew. "Alex and Gina are going to be married in the Winter. What a lovely time to be wed, don't you think so?"

Abigail released the breath she had unintentionally been holding and tried to bring her beating heart to normal. She had momentarily feared that Martha would have told him that she was in love. Although she didn't know who, Jamie would have undoubtedly realized with ease that it was him who she was in love with. She wasn't ready for that. She wasn't ready to see a disgusted look on Jamie's face. She wasn't anywhere near ready to have her heart completely destroyed when he told her he wanted nothing to do with her.

"Well, Abigail thinks it's a perfect time to be married, don't you Abigail?"

Martha's voice quickly released her of her dark thoughts and she was faced with both of them staring intently at her. She gulped and nodded. "Y-Yeah."

A frown tainted Martha's face and she swiftly made her way to her side. "Are you sure you're alright? You look a bit pale." The nurses hand brushed against the farmers cheek, it slowly traveled to her forehead, and she finally pulled back with a deeper frown. "And you're burning up."

Abigail's stomach clenched as her eyes bounced from Martha's frowning face to Jamie's narrowed expression. It was suddenly harder to breath. Her breaths were coming in short pants, and her vision blurred. "I'm fine." She whispered, but there was a lack of confidence in the voice and it came out with a loss of breath.

"No, you look much too pale to be fine, Abigail." Martha moved towards the opened door and called out for Alex.

"I'm fine, really. I just – I just need to – "

She felt it a struggle to remain standing on her own feet. The room began to move on its own, but it stilled for a moment as she felt herself being pushed against a chest. Her eyes darted upwards and she was met with ice blue eyes. They looked very anger and hurt, and it caused her to flinch from the gasp, but they were soon filled with concern and it was the last thing she saw before her world fell into darkness.

– – – –

Jamie watched as she laid asleep. It had been a few hours since he had stormed into the clinic, momentarily blinded by anger, and secretly hurt, that she had skipped their daily morning meeting. But at the moment, his anger had melted and concern, mixed with a healthy dose of fear and uneasiness, was the replacement emotion. As he sat in the lone seat next to the pure white bedding, he found himself worrying about the farmer that was his rival.

He wondered if she was working herself too hard, and if she was, what could he do to make her slow down. Maybe she was stressed about something, which he again found himself musing over what he could do to make the problem disappear. Or was she seriously ill? The thought cut though his chest and he straightened his back, watching the sleeping farmer closely.

Martha quietly shuffled towards the faux bed and eyed the purple haired farmer cautiously. "She experienced a panic attack. She should be just fine once she wakes up, but we'll keep an eye on her for the next few days just to be on the safe side."

Jamie remained silent, taking in the information and locking it away in his mind for future use.

"There is no need for you to stay, Jamie, I know how busy your schedule can be. If you'd like, I can stay with her until she awakes." Martha softly commented.

"No." He answered back.

Martha noted the quick response, the snap tone he answered in, and the tense position he had adopted as soon the suggestion left her lips. She raised a single brow in realization and nodded her head. "Very well, if you get hungry please do not hesitate to ask for anything. I will be doing some laundry."

Jamie nodded, never taking his eyes off the sleeping brunette before him, and listened to Martha's soft steps as they lead away from him. He gave a brief glance over his shoulder and watched the older woman disappear into the built in kitchen. With a quiet sigh, he stared back at the bed and listening to the even breaths his former rival gave out in a steady rhythm.

He noted that she looked at peace. She was no longer frowning like she has been when she initially fainted. She looked content now, with a small smile on her face, it was almost tempting to smile along. But Jamie refrained himself, still plagued with worry.

She took a deep intake of breath and he watched, both afraid and hopefully that she would awake, but her eyes remained closed as she exhaled slowly. He slouched in his seat, disappointed and relieved that she hadn't opened those big brown eyes of her.

_A panic attack._ She sounded just fine before he had let himself into the room... and she had stared at him like he was some kind of monster when she realized it was him. He winced at the look of pure shock and... horror in her face while Martha spoke to him about Alex's pending marriage. She even moved deeper into the room when he tried to get close to her, like she was afraid of him. Or disgusted.

Jamie frowned and he clenched his hands into tight fists at the thought of her wanted nothing to do with him. The frown slowly transformed into a dejected look. Had he destroyed their friendship last night? He removed the large hat from his head, setting it on a nearby stand, and cursed at himself for possibly bringing the only normal relationship he'd managed to have with another human being to an abrupt halt.

Thoughts began to run a muck in his head. Each thought worse than the last, but all revolving around the same topic. Would she continue to let him stay in her life? Was she going to completely cut him off, view him as a nuisance and end all contact with him?

"No."

Jamie's jaw clenched and his eyes glued themselves to her face. The brunette remained with her eyes closed, but she had unintentionally answered his unspoken question. She was frowning in her false sleeping state and her hands formed small fists. As he stood from his seat, he watched as her eyes fluttered open. An unexplainable feeling began to overwhelm his entire body. They way she looked up at him, with complete and unadulterated curiosity and happiness, caused his breath to hitch.

She blinked and continued to stare. "Am I still dreaming?"

No amount of self control could have held off the smirk from his face, nor could it have stopped his heart from speeding up. She had been dreaming. More specifically dreaming of _him_.

Smiling and peaceful with only him in mind.

* * *

**Playlist:** "She Will Be Loved" by Maroon 5; "Airplanes" by B.o.B.; "Seduction" by Eminem.


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harvest Moon or its characters. This story was only written for entertainment purposes.

* * *

**Save Me From Myself**

_Chapter Fourteen_

* * *

It was an odd sight, to those so used to watching the bubbly brunette farmer sprinting from one side of town to the next, for Abigail to be sitting and pouting. It was only the second day to her forced rest, personally prescribed by doctor Alex himself, and she already beginning to break. Martha had made her verbally swear to take a few days off from intense farm work, but even as she promised she had already made plans in her mind for future work. That was until that purple haired traitor, of all people, threw her for a loop and agreed to look after her for Martha.

A secret blessing _and_ curse in her mind.

So here she was, feeling more useless that she'd ever felt in her entire life, watching the purple haired farmer tend to his livestock, while she sat with his black companion on her lap. No only was she feeling useless, but there was an immense lump of dread, anticipation, excitement, and horror at the pit of her stomach. All the good emotions were only because she was spending time with the newfound object of her affection. Unfortunately, all those bad emotions were also because she was spending time with said object.

She blushed in embarrassment as her mind replayed the cocky smirk on his face when she had unintentionally asked him if she was still dreaming. How humiliating. He probably thought she was weird for giving him the idea that she had been dreaming about him, which wasn't entirely false, but she never wanted _him_ to figure that out. She momentarily stared down at pooch and watched it yawn again. Her eyes slowly rose from the lazy black mass of fur and she watched the male farmer.

He hadn't said much to her. But then again, he had never said much to her before, so why would it make any difference? In her mind, however, things were different. She now knew that she loved the hardworking purple haired farmer and it was taking everything in her to act as if she wasn't. And it was getting harder and harder to ignore the little voice in the back of her head that continued to scream at her to confess. It continued to chastise her for having feelings towards her former rival like it was some sort of abomination. All the while, claiming that shouting her 'sin' into the heavens would alleviate her heavy heart. Stupid voice, it would only bring her more turmoil.

She shook her head discreetly, hoping to lighten the banshee voice tormenting her. Unfortunately, it only seemed to encourage the annoying voice as it began to throw her vivid imagination into confusion.

Those darn scenarios were running a muck once again. What if she _was _to tell Jamie, how would he react? In one scenario, her most feared and the one she was dreading to live out, he could crush her heart in the same manner she'd crush a rock with her hammer. In another, he could possible only see her as a friend, which wouldn't be so bad, but it would still sting to be denied. She sighed, quietly so that Jamie wouldn't restart his questioning about her health, and patted the dogs head as it yawned for a third time.

Was love supposed to be this complicated? She paused her petting. What if Martha had miss read the signs? What if she wasn't really in love with Jamie, it was just a momentary attraction. She shook her head. No, that was a silly thought. She had a wedding dream, and it was so vivid, with Jamie as her groom. And he looked... he looked happy in the dream. Another sigh escaped the brunettes lips. She never had this much trouble when she thought she was in love with Blue.

She winced internally and wondered if she had ever truly loved Blue. Maybe that was a momentary attraction and Jamie... Jamie might just be the real thing.

"Hey Abigail." The brunette farmer jumped at the cool voice behind her and twisted her body around to see her caller. Kurt strolled leisurely into Jamie's property and gave her a smile. Mimicking the friendly smile, she waved at him and watched as he leaned against the purple reeling. "Heard around town you gave Martha a scare. Are you feeling better?"

The brunette farmer smiled at the carpenter and nodded her head. She opened her mouth to verbally answer, but –

"She's fine." Jamie answered for her with a scowl aimed directly at the intruder.

Kurt narrowed his eyes at the purple haired farmer, but slowly his eyes softened as they returned to the female farmers face. "Good." There was a brief moment of silence, and it slowly ate away at her nerves, but suddenly, Kurt spoke his thought. "I'm going to the sheep festival. I was wondering if you'd be there as well?"

Again, her mouth opened, however –

"She will be," Jamie growled back. The black canine in her lap mimicked its masters growl and it barked at the surprised carpenter. He suddenly pointed at himself, "With me."

Jamie watched, filled with annoyance that the carpenter had the audacity to step into his land without explicit permission and was trying to ask his responsibility out right _in front_ of him. He shook with rage and he stormed next to the silent brunette farmer. Kurt glared at him for a moment and Jamie matched the dark glare without question. This boy had another thing coming if he thought Jamie was going to let her out of his sight for a second. Especially not if the sorry excuse for a carpenter was going to be fluttering around her pestering about going to another festival with him.

Over his dead, cold, and lifeless body. Jamie growled under his breath as the brunette carpenter continued to stare at her with a look that boiled his blood. With a quick glance at the brunette female to his side, he noted how she stared at _him_, not playing the least bit attention to the carpenter as he made one last ditch effort to persuade her into going with him. Her eyes were filled with what seemed like a mixture of awe and shock, her look alone made his scowl lessen.

She quickly recovered, however, and turned to Kurt. Her head nodded and she spoke softly. "I am going with Jamie."

His growing rage plummeted at sound of her confirmation and at the sight of a shy smile gracing her lips. Jamie hesitated with his verbal lashing, or gloating, and just looked at her for a moment. A new fire began to rage inside him, he felt his heart respond with an erratic beat, and his chest swelled with unexpected pride. He felt his face heat up, but as quick as the feeling came, it went. Forcing himself to stop the stupid grin from breaking out on his face, he gave Kurt a smug smirk and cold stare.

"If you are done harassing her and trespassing on my property, I suggest you leave. Now." His arrogant smile only grew at the brief flash of defeat on his rivals face. It was known to all, Jamie _never_ lost.

Abigail watched as they glared each other down. She squirmed in her seat and swallowed the lump forming in her throat. She was going to another festival with the purple haired farmer. She felt giddy, almost over the moon, and a little smile threatened to spread over her face. He had... well not actually asked her, but he was obviously planning on it since – Wait, what if he was only saying it to keep his promise to Martha? The thought quickly ended the joyful euphoria she experienced mere seconds ago.

She heard Kurt mutter a quiet good-bye and she mimicked the low words of departure, watching as he carpenter disappeared from sight. Cautiously looking over at the farmer by her side, she looked for clues that she hoped would help her decipher whether he truly wanted to go with her or if he was just doing it out of the good of his heart. There were none, however, as she watched a frown form on his face.

A bark from her lap caused her eyes to drop from his handsome features to those of a furry black snout directly in her face. She turned her head away and closed her eyes at the feeling of a wet tongue scrapping across her cheek. Wincing at the trail of doggy saliva, she felt the animal being taken from her lap and carefully cracked her eyes opened. She was met with the sight of Jamie scolding his black companion and giving her an apologetic smile.

That smile caused her to freeze. She momentarily forgot about the wet trail of spit on her cheek, including the fact that she was grossed out beyond belief, and just watched as Jamie stood at her side once again. The smile vanished from his face and an ever familiar frown formed.

"What?"

She blinked and pulled away from him, quickly shaking her head, both to answer his question and to shake herself off whatever stupidity ensnared her. "A-Are we really going together?"

She felt her heart drop as the frown on his face deepened. His head, however, nodded in affirmation. "If... you want to?"

"Yes!" She found herself shrieking and jumped out of her seat. She coughed and blushed in embarrassment. "I mean... Yes. I'd love to go with you, Jamie." He smiled and did something that shook her to her core. He... _laughed._ A true laugh escaped his lips and his entire body shook from the sudden outburst. It was so hypnotizing and she grinned at him, laughing along with the purple haired farmer.

It seemed like today wasn't a complete waste of time after all.

* * *

**A/N:** Sorry about the disappearing act and I won't bore you with excuses and rant or whatever else I could do. I am going to try my very best to keep a weekly/bi-weekly update on this story. Thank you for the reviews by the way, glad some people are still sticking around. :)

**Playlist:** "Bulletproof (Nacey Remix ft. Matt Hemerlein)" by Major Lazer & La Roux; "Kids" by Chiddy Bang.


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harvest Moon or its characters. This story was only written for entertainment purposes.

* * *

**Save Me From Myself**

_Chapter Fifteen_

* * *

Abigail watched in fascination as the purple haired farmer placed his sheep in place. It was something she wouldn't ever have the opportunity on doing, brushing and fawning over any sheep, and she was soaking it as much as humanly possible. He had given her small, tiny, advice about how to handle sheep, but it was minimal information. It was almost like he was expecting her to use it against him in the next Festival, which was ridicules since she'd never seen herself as a sheep person. Or a cow person. Or even a horse person. So the possibility of ever using any information against the purple haired farmer seemed highly unlikely. She was very content with her gardens.

As she held his brush, since he was busy moving freshly cut wool onto the display table, she felt a hand on her shoulder. Twirling her head towards the rested arm, her eyes traveled from the appendix to the owner of said arm. "Hi Blue."

The blond farmer nodded his head at her, but refrained from smiling, opting to keep a small frown on his face. His eyes dropped to the brush in her grasp and then they bounced towards Jamie, who was still placing the last few wools on the wooden table. Blue shook his head, in mock disappointment, and signaled towards his Festival rival. "Helping the enemy?"

"Of course not," She mumbled, rocking the brush in her grasp. "Just observing."

Blue chucked softly. "Observing? Well if that's all you're doing, you can come watch Bob and me. Jamie doesn't enjoy being pestered by the rest of the population, especially not during Festivals."

Jamie straightened his back and glared at the blond. He stood silent, however, and watched as she laughed, shaking her head at the blond farmer before sending him on his way. Blue threw him one last look. The universal look of 'good luck' and he mirrored the look back. A small smirk made itself present on Jamie's lips once the blond's back was turned to him. He wasn't in need of luck, he had this Festival in the bag.

"Here you go." She spoke, handing him his brush back, and briefly looking over his wool. He held the brush in his hand, suddenly nervous over her opinion concerning his wool. She looked up at him and smiled. "I may not know much about wool, but Martha once told me that if it looks shiny that it's the best." Her eyes jumped away from his face and she glanced at Blue's table before turning her attention back to him. She inched closer and cupped her hand next to her lips. "You're totally going to win, but don't tell him – " she nodded towards Blue, " – I said that."

He bit back a prideful smile and gave the brunette a short nod.

She straightened herself into a right position and poured her attention towards his sheep.

As she was distracted, Jamie remained vigilant. Casting cautious looks through the growing crowd. In attendance was a little less than half of the town. The Mayor stood on top of his podium, like he did every year, and announced that there was more or less half an hour left until the Festival came to its conclusion. One person in particular was kept on his radar at all times. The dark haired carpenter kept his distance, accompanied with his brother, and refrained from interacting with the brunette farmer.

With a second glance around the crowd, he noted a pair of eyes staring back at him. His back stiffened. Martha was watching with genuine interest. Their eyes locked and Jamie mentally cursed his luck. This wasn't the first, and it would never be the last, time he had felt at a complete loss around the gray haired woman. It was almost like she could read him like an open book and that was a feeling he wasn't too keen on being subjected to.

She walked towards the odd pair, slipping into nurse mode for a brief second to check on the brunette's condition before smiling. Jamie frowned at the smile. It was a knowing smile. Unfortunately, he couldn't figure out why she wore such a smile.

"You two see to be enjoying yourselves." She commented.

There was an undertone in the woman's voice. It forced a suspicious look to cross his face and, with a side glance towards the farmer at his side, he noted that she wore a blush. It seemed as if both woman had shared a silent conversation right in front of him.

Abigail laughed nervously and scratched her chin, trying desperately to rid herself of the heat consuming her face. Martha's ever present gleam wasn't helping matters either. With a shallow gulp of air, she tugged at her hair with one hand and pointed at the purple haired farmer's table with the other. "Jamie has some good looking wool, I was just looking at it."

She mentally slapped her hand over her head. What a horrible lie that was and by the weary look Martha was subjecting her too, she'd seen right though it. There was a glint in the woman's eyes that forced a tremor of nervousness to rack through her body. The nurse's mouth opened for a brief moment, much to her horror, but thankfully Mayor Theodore stepped into the conversation.

He made small talk with Martha and she silently thanked whatever deity had taken mercy on her. The conversation didn't last long, however, and the Mayor was quick to whisk the brunette away, something about wanting to have an update on her life. With a single look towards the purple haired farmer, she gave a small shrug and allowed herself to be taken away.

Jamie watched as the ringleader dressed Mayor of Flower Bud took the farmer away. Martha sighed and stood next to him. He tensed at the closeness and sought a route to distance himself from the older woman. Catching sight of a possible escape route, he began to inch away until she began to speak.

"She'll make some lucky man very happy one of these days." She started and it caught him completely off guard. "Such a lovely girl. Always smiling and lifting other up when they feel down. A real treasure if I don't say so myself. But she should honestly settle down sooner rather than later. There aren't that many available lads, after all."

He remained silent as his eyes tracked the brunette's movements. She made a sudden gesture, raising her hands chest-level and began shaking them, along with her head, giving a negative response. He then noticed Theodore hold his pot bellied stomach as he shook from laughter. She relaxed once more and he finally gave Martha an noise that he was listening. A graveled 'humph' and a half-hearted sneer.

"And you're telling me this why?"

She gave a small shrug. "Oh, I'm just staring small talk, is all. She's got a beautiful garden, don't you think?" Jamie gave a short nod. "I love going down by the beach and looking at the different flowers and crops she grows each season. She's been a wonderful help with herbs for Alex and myself. If it weren't for her, I honestly don't know what we'd do at the Clinic. Nina only seems to be interested in flowers, which is nice, but it doesn't help with medicines much."

He tensed at the mention of the pink haired gardener. Giving his surroundings one last look, he viable relaxed at at realization that the gardener in question wasn't present at the Festival. Jamie gave another short nod during his discreet search, not really listening to what Martha was saying.. And she took note.

She smiled secretly to herself. "That bug of hers must be contagious."

He was about to give a third nod, when the words slowly registered in his head. He turned his full attention towards the older woman and eyed her suspiciously. "What?"

Abigail held back the urge to groan aloud. Mayor Theodore had once again pulled her aside to talk about the 'M' word. She watched silently as he continued to sweet talk her into taking the available bachelors into consideration. But neither Kurt nor Dan had her interest at the moment and she couldn't exactly tell the Mayor that she was falling for the town outcast without being lectured about it.

"You're not getting any younger," she heard him say for the tenth time this year.

"I know, but I'm just not – "

Theodore sighed again, his heavy brown eyes looking at her with disappointment. "Everyone around us is fulfilling their happy endings. I just want to see you happy as well."

She smiled at the nurturing older man and nodded. "I know."

The plump Mayor shifted from foot to foot and closed the distance between them. He glanced around his surroundings, making sure they there were no eavesdroppers, and finally stared at the brunette with a serious expression. "I've heard you've been hanging around Jamie quite a bit these last few weeks. Is this true?"

She hesitated for a second before nodding. "I have."

"May I ask why?"

With a quick shrug, she took a step away from the Mayor and bit the inside of her cheek. "Everyone needs someone to dump their problems on, right? I'm just... um being that for Jamie."

"Hmm." Was the only response the heavy set man gave her. "Very well, you can run along now. I'll be announcing the winner soon. Any guesses?"

She bit her tongue to refrain from answering quickly and shrugged, blatantly voicing the opposite of what she was thinking. "I'm rooting for Blue." And with that she escaped from Theodore's critical gaze.

As it turned out Jamie had indeed won the competition, wasn't much of a surprise to the brunette farmer. She took next to Martha as the purple haired farmer accepted his award, an arrogant smirk plastered on his face along with the twinkle of victory shinning through his azure eyes. The claps around her didn't hold the same excitement, nor the same happiness, her smile gave, but it wasn't a shock. It was almost impossible for the town to be truly happy for the distant farmer with the air of superiority he exuded on the podium.

She briefly looked away and laughed to herself quietly.

"... Thank you all for participating. Until next time."

With those words, the crowd began to disburse. Martha briefly touched her shoulder and whispered her goodbye, lecturing her about resting for a few more days before diving into any hard labor. She nodded and waved the motherly woman off, promising to follow her instructions. From the corner of her eye, she saw Blue, along with Ellen, Bob, and Ann, all working together to usher their sheep back to their farmer. On the opposite side, she saw Jamie doing the same, but all by himself.

She quietly made her way towards the lone farmer and smiled. "Need some help?"

Jamie stared at her over his shoulder and stared. She didn't look sick. On the contrary, she looked like her usual bubbly, happy-go-lucky self. There was still a healthy glow on her face, even though she hadn't been doing much work outside in the sun. Where she ill, that glow would have diminished. Maybe Martha had been lying, but it was hard to believe that the older nurse would lie to anyone. He hadn't had a change to get her to explain, she had weaseled her way out of the conversation before finishing.

"Congratulations, by the way." She pulled off her pack and opened it in front of her. "You can put your brush and stuff in here, less things we'll have to carry."

He looked towards the blond farmer and found his staring at them, curiosity easily been read off his face. "I'm fine." He finally answered, turning his back towards the brunette.

"Oh." The sound of her sullen voice pricked at his, once encased in ice, heart. He sighed silently and listened to the fumbling behind him, she was obviously placing her pack into place. "Okay, then."

With one final glance towards the blond farmer, he noticed Blue and his crowd were gone, leaving them alone. He fully turned towards her and wasn't surprised to see her eyes down casted. Pushing aside the foreign guilty feeling beginning to bubble at the pit of his stomach, he placed his hands on her shoulder and turned her away from him. She made a small noise of surprise, but remained still as he stuffed his tools into her pack.

"What did the Mayor say." He mumbled after a few minutes of awkward silence.

"Oh. Well. You know. Stuff."

"Hn." He voiced, silently taking the fact that she was avoiding giving a direct answer. "Stuff."

"Yeah, stuff. Dumb things, really. Nothing interesting."

He narrowed his eyes, not at all liking how vague she was being about this 'stuff' one bit.

"So, I saw Martha stuck around after I left... What did you two talk about?"

"Oh... we talked about – " He closed her pact and turned back to his sheep. " – _Stuff._"


	16. P is for Proper Return

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harvest Moon or its characters. This story was only written for entertainment purposes.

_Note: I'm a little rusty, so I do apologize in advance._

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**Save Me From Myself**

_Chapter Sixteen_

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Jamie watched as his animals grazed like they had the day before with arms crossed in front of his chest and a somber look etched onto his face. With an expectant glance over his shoulder, he silently sighed in dismay as he was once again met with only air and silence instead of a bright smile and nonsense babbling from a certain farmer. Looking away, crestfallen, he shook his head and adopted the apathetic mask he had been sporting since the brunette had taken her leave as he ushered his animals inside the purple barn.

She was gone, but it was only momentarily. Even so, it felt like a lifetime to Jamie and he was eagerly awaiting her return... Not that he actually missed her or anything, because _he didn't._ No, of course not. That would have been ridicules. He just missed the gifts she would bestow upon him whenever she'd invade his personal space.

When she was around, Jamie rarely had to leave his home to indulge in his unhealthy obsession with jams. Unfortunately, with the farmer gone, he has begrudgingly found himself having to wander off his property to supply his demand for said treats. And it was only because of that _one_ fact that Jamie was anxiously looking forward to the sight of brown hair, brown eyes, and the bubbly personality that came with it all.

Not because he felt lonely.

Not because he had no one to talk to (although most of their conversations were one sided, but that was beside the point).

Not because he was trying his hardest to ignore the gnawing feeling slowly eating away at him from the inside out.

No, none of those compared to the fact that he didn't have his fix of assorted jams that were always inside the farmer's pack. Because... that was the only reason he kept looking over his shoulder for that smiling face and the warmth that radiated off said smile. Only the jam.

_Right..._

But he could deny as much as he'd like, there was no getting around the unreachable itch that Jamie had begun to experience the moment she'd stepped away from him with that halfhearted smile of departure.

He had begun to notice he was feeling less and less like himself as the days wore on. The energy once abundant and specifically stored to out do the rest of the village was slowly dimming, zapped away by the growing knot of dread at the pit of his stomach.

Jamie rarely ventured away from his home, which wasn't odd per se, but it felt completely different when compared to the constant moving about in town he had done during the summer with the brunette. And not only that, but he had also returned to his reclusive lifestyle, eagerly running off anyone who tried to approach his sanctuary save for Martha, who would unexpectedly grace him with a visit every now and then.

An entire season without the chattering female at his side, constantly trying to push him into holding conversations with the rest of the town and forcing him to think about idiotic things that had never crossed his mind before (like was it possible for their respective canines to think and if so, what could they be spending their time thinking about) should have felt _great_. But, instead of being ecstatic and relish in the silence he had once lived in before her, Jamie felt... hollow.

It was as if something was missing.

Something vital.

But it wasn't the need for a companion. Jamie could easily slip into the Moonlight Inn and not only sedate the bothersome human need to have someone babble about mindless topics, but also drown himself in a higher spirit by over doing it with the bubbly drinks the Inn specialized in. And if the Inn wasn't available, Jamie always had his loyal pet, as depressing as that sounded, who would always be available, whether the canine wanted to sit there and listen to _him_ babble on about mindless topics or not.

Neither was it the need to feel superior than thou. Jamie could have his pick from the village to fulfill the male need to dominate and gloat. Besides, deep down he knew it wouldn't feel the same beating her at something like it would if it were Blue or Kurt in place. He'd feel horrible, which was shocking because Jamie was driven to win at all costs, but when her sadden face loomed in the back of his mind because of his need to show off... Well, it just didn't settle well with the purple haired farmer.

It must have been the need to have someone he could trust within arms reach for at least a few hours every day. The need – no, the _want _to have the only person in the entire village who didn't view him as some cold hearted deviant smiling up at him like he'd never done anything wrong in his life. The want to feel strangely at peace with a simple laugh and for the worries of the rest of the world to slowly drift away with the brief exchange of gifts (even if most, if not all, exchanges were initiated by her, Jamie just wasn't one to on a daily basis shower _anyone_ with gifts). And to want the blandness of the days to disappear with the appearance of the hyperactive brunette who seemed to know just how to lure out unexpected emotions out of him. Emotions he had once thought of as being completely useless to function in the world, only introduced to a person in infancy in order to confuse and distort the big picture.

But while the feeling of unused emotions flurried throughout his body, Jamie could help but wonder. Why, after so long of being able to survive without said feelings, were they beginning to run a muck?

He finally cared about something – no, not a _thing_. It most certainly was someone other than himself, and while it felt pleasant at times, it was a bit... uncomfortable at others. Attached to the caring came an unexpected multitude of baggages, two of these ever present baggages being worry and anger respectively.

Although he's always been known to indulge into anger when things didn't go his way, lately it had been transforming into something different. Constantly burning at a fever pitch level when he caught sight of the looks a few of the male population threw at his little bubbly farmer. He even had to go see Alex a few times in order to be prescribed something for the soreness in his jaw from the numerous time he'd had to grind his teeth together to keep from lashing out in full force. Subconsciously he knew the looks would never extend above a platonic friendship, it still managed to irked the purple haired farmer.

The looks, however, were a silent reminder of the fact that they had gotten to experience the smiles, and the laughters, and carefree attitude usually surrounding the brunette before him. All that time he had wasted, hating the farmer because he wanted to prove that he was the best and that he didn't need her help, or her friendship, in order to save the Goddess. And how had it ended? With Jamie failing and finally accepting her help, in addition to opening up to the last person he had expected it to happen with...

Jamie shook his head clear at the sound of footsteps coming towards him. A scowl was already forming when he heard the soft sound of his canine yipping happily at the new presence.

"Don't think too hard, you'll hurt yourself."

A tension rolled over his aching form at the sound of_ that _voice. The only voice he had been waiting to here for almost four weeks echoed in his ears. Afraid of looking back, thinking it was his mind playing tricks on him once again, Jamie stood perfectly still. No other words rung, and a deflated look was beginning to work its way onto his face when there it was again...

"Hey, are you asleep standing up?" she said, closer this time, but still too far away. "I think your master's asleep, buddy."

A bark echoed and it was only then that Jamie looked over his shoulder. The sound of his heart hammering against his ribs in a quickened rhythm for a few moments was all he seemed to hear. There she was, standing a few feet away with his loyal canine sitting at her side, smiling at him. She waved – _waved_ at him like it was the most normal thing to do and as if she had been doing it forever and always – before crouching down and pampering his pooch with scratches and cooing words.

As she did, Jamie found himself silently memorizing the sight before him. Closing the gap between them, only stopping when his purple barricade forbid him from continuing on, Jamie felt the heavy lump of loneliness uncoil and disappear without a trace.

"I'm back!" she singsonged, straightening herself up and smiling at him closing the distance between them from her side and grinning at him.

"Obviously," Jamie deadpanned, having an usually hard time trying to restrain a smile from cracking his mark.

He halfheartedly listened as she went on a rant, probably telling him about everything she'd done while visiting her family, and relaxed at the sound. The words might have been escaping his grasp, but to simply hear her voice after weeks of complete silence was welcoming. As his mind and body was lulled by her soft tone, Jamie found himself taking in her appearance once again.

Her eyes were bright, even under the pink and orange hues, as she went on, only pausing occasional to wait for a confirmation that he was listening or to breath. Her skin seemed to be a bit darker, obviously indicating that she had spent a majority of her time frolicking outside without adequate protection from the lowering temperatures. And, if it were even possible, her smiled seemed to be almost twice as contagious than it was before she had left.

"Miss me?" she whispered as bright eyes looked up at him expectantly.

A swirl of answers swarmed his mind the second those words rang inside his little head. Ranging from a simple, yet characteristically nonchalant, _yes, of course _to a flabbergasting comical response of _what kind of idiotic thing that is to ask._ But instead of voicing those perfectly fine response, all that tumbled out of his mouth was...

"_Humph_."

Not even a word or statement from the stoic purple hair farmer, but rather a careless sound that rumbled from the back of his unusually tight throat. And at the sound, the light in those eyes dimmed ever so slightly. The smile lost a bit of its flare and warmth. A panicked sensation ultimately engulfed Jamie, but his outward appearance refused to acknowledge said panic, opting to look as calm and collected as he looked on any given day.

A moment or two of gnawing silence settled between the former rivals before her laughter rung out into the pink and orange sky. The rushing sense of relief momentarily floored Jamie, who outwardly frowned at the outburst, but inwardly relished in the sound of her familiar tone. A quiet yipping from the bundle of fur at their side only added to the relaxation of tense muscles and bones.

As she wiped off a tear from the side of her face, a hand still clutching the side of her stomach, the brunette sighed heavily and shook her head softly. Jamie watched as she rounded the corner, followed closely behind by his dark furred companion, and only came to a stop once they were more or less about a foot away from each other. Slowly, brown eyes locked with his own azure and, a never experienced before, fluttering feeling began to overwhelmed Jamie's stomach.

With a small smile tugging at her lips, she took those last few steps keeping them apart and engulfed the paralyzed young man into a tight embrace, "I missed you too, silly."


	17. Q is for Queer Morning

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harvest Moon or its characters. This story was only written for entertainment purposes.

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**Save Me From Myself**

_Chapter Seventeen_

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It was a bright and sunny, albeit chilly, morning when Jamie found himself marching out of his property, with an unfriendly scowl firmly placed on his face and the metaphorical dark clouds looming over his head. With every heavy step away from his comfort zone, he felt the irritation in his joints beginning to hitch as curious looks from the few gazes morning surveyors bombarded his form with.

Jamie had expected to find a certain brunette farmer clucking away during his morning routine. Had assumed he would have to prepare himself for the extended version of her rant about her days in Mineral Town. Presumed his entire morning was going to be filled with heart warming laugher and stale attempts to trying to get his input into the once sided conversation. But instead, he had gone through the mundane routine alone, again, and silently fumed about being left to his own devices, effectively frightening his poor livestock half to death.

So here he was, storming down the dirt pavement towards the ocean home he had become extremely familiar with during the summer with a dark look etched onto his face. As his foot made contact with the bridge, a feminine voice called out to him.

Stunned that someone, other than the brunette he was in search of, was calling out to him without the slightest inclination of hesitation, Jamie froze and cautiously glanced over his shoulder. Casually making her way towards him was the bubbly brunette relative of his blond nemesis, Ellen, with a smile on her face and a friendly wave directed squarely at him.

"Morning, I'm so glad I caught you," she said quietly, the smile refusing to leave her face.

Jamie shifted uncomfortably, not used to the constant, and _genuine_, look of others being so relaxed in his presence. With a curt nod, he waited impatiently for the brunette to finish her business with him so that he could continue looking for a different brunette.

"You're probably looking for Abigail, correct?"

Jamie narrowed his eyes, but refrained from snapping at the poor girl. She was after all a friend of his on-again-off-again talkative companion.

But the heavy tension unsettled Ellen, evident by the falter in her smile, "Um. Yes, well. She's not at her home. Carl and Katie offered to teach her how to cook a few new plates, so it's more than likely that she's still there. If you'd like, we could go together I'm on my wa..." but her voice drifted off as Jamie made a bee-line towards the café.

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"Drat, another one bites the dust," were the first words to ring in his ears when he stepped out of the frigid winter air and into the cozy atmosphere the small, quaint café naturally exuded without trying too hard. A high pitched giggled followed soon after, which was soon drowned out by the nervous chuckle of a male and the heavy sound of a dishearten sigh.

With a hard stare, Jamie's sore muscles complained as a new tension settled throughout his form. Behind the counter was the proprietor of the quiet establishment and his only help, hovering awfully close to a certain brunette farmer he had been in search of.

Katie was the first to move away from his former rival and smiled coyly before running a free hand through her long locks, "It's okay, Abigail, not everyone can be fantastic cooks like me and Carl, or even Ellen."

The dark glare Jamie threw at the waitress was mirrored by the blond owner as he brushed aside the comment with a bat of his hand. The action caused a haughty pout from the younger woman and sent her fuming deeper into the back of the establishment, leaving the farmer and baker to themselves.

"Don't listen to her," Carl mumbled cheerfully, face bright with sincerity and happiness. "No one ever gets it the first time, it's almost impossible. Just keep practicing and you'll get the recipe in no time. Try again."

Jamie watched as Abigail cringed away from the brightly colored bowl before turning pleading eyes towards the blond. "Do I _have_ to learn how to cook? I mean... couldn't I just send him to the café whenever he even begins to hint that he's gets hungry. This way, we both win. I won't have to learn all these complicated recipes, thus avoiding more failures and less chances of losing a finger or two, and you'll be getting regular business."

Carl laughed before shaking his head in disbelief, "As tempting as the proposition sound, as your friend, I cannot let you do that, Abby. Besides, you never know what kind of husband you'll end up attracting. Maybe it'll be someone whose expecting a home cooked meal, or maybe someone who doesn't mind going out on occasion. It's just – "

"Better to be prepared," she finished, and Jamie didn't even need to have the farmer facing him to know she had said it with a roll of her eyes. Taking the bowl that was still being offered to her, Jamie felt his lips twitch ever so slightly upwards from the look the brunette was subjecting the blond to. "_Fine_. But know now, you've just given up a great offer. Constant flow of money, three times a day, seven days a week." Abigail made a small scolding sound as she wagged her finger at Carl.

Carl sighed halfheartedly as a tired and pained smile stretched across the man's face and Jamie swore he heard a sorrow filled_ 'I know'_ being moaned quietly as the baker shuffled away.

The brunette turned away from the retreating form, giving Jamie a brief look at the growing smirk on her face, and slouched her shoulders before beginning to collect ingredients. It was then that Jamie decided to make his presence known. Clearing his throat loudly, but not loud enough to attract the attention of the two other inhabitants in the building, Jamie felt the stiffness in his form slowly ebb out of his muscles when alert brown eyes locked onto his own.

"Good morning, Jamie!" was her chipper response, causing a slight wince from the normally brooding purple haired farmer.

A mumbled greeting, one that a normal person would have never guessed to have been a greeting of any kind, escaped his lips as he crossed the room and took a seat in the closest available seat. He watched as she turned her full attention towards him, something that Jamie subconsciously relished in, and glazed over the bowl in her grasp. His questioning look returned to the smiling face.

"I'm making pancakes!"

With a roll of his eyes, Jamie allowed the obvious observation roll off without a snarky comment and watched with mild interest as she continued to bat the batter with weak stirs. The lackluster enthusiasm that she seemed to pour into her actions spoke loud and clear that this wasn't where she wanted to be this morning. For a brief moment, he felt... _bad_ for being upset over being stood up this morning. But that feeling was quietly squashed when the woman before him began to make up for the lack of chatter earlier this morning.

"Martha's making me come here. Said it would do me some good, learning how to cook for when I get hitched." A small frown formed on her face, and Jamie was a second away from mimicking the look, but the quiet laugher eased the muscles on his face. "Like _that's_ going to make or break a marriage..." her light hearted laugh morphed into a nervous chuckle, "...right?"

Jamie looked away from the batter in her grasp and found eyes boring into his form.

"No," he finally answered after what felt like an eternity but was only a matter of second.

A sigh, one resembling a strange likeness to relief, left her mouth before a bound of energy exploded from the brunette as she hastily continued with her cooking. "Mama tried to tell me the same thing while I was helping her around the farm. Said the only way to get into a man's heart was through his stomach and seeing as I only really know the basics, like boiling water and steaming veggies, she kept hinting that I'd end up scaring off potential husbands with my lack of cooking skills."

Azure eyes narrowed at the thought, "Humph."

She giggled, "That's exactly what I said to Mama. That woman is so silly sometimes."

"You're speaking differently," Jamie noted in a quiet voice.

A blush spread across her cheeks, one that Jamie would never admit aloud to making her look... cute, and the farmer smiled sheepishly. "Ha, yeah. I guess a whole season of being around my family again rubbed off. But don't worry, it should go away after a few weeks just like before."

Jamie hummed quietly as she turned away from him to continue with her cooking. A moment or two of silence and the sound of batter hitting a hot flat surface filled the room. It was quickly followed by the welcoming aroma associated with homemade pancakes and Jamie found himself taking in a deep breath of the scent. It had been far too long since he had actually indulged in anything that wasn't already wired into his routine. He couldn't even remember the last time he had had a breakfast that didn't consist of the usual toast, juice and fruit.

His curious eyes tried to sneak a peek at the delicious smelling treats being made before him, but somehow the brunette managed to keep them well hidden. It almost looked intentional, and the brief tilt of her head towards him only confirmed his suspicions. Sighing quietly to himself, Jamie faked being interested at something hanging on the opposite side of the stove.

It was only then than the brunette farmer moved less stiffly, grabbing a nearby plate and slide the finished pancake onto it.

"Oh. It came out deformed," she mumbled, cocking her head and staring down at the lone pancake sitting on the plate. Sighing, she rubbed her face and placed the plate on the flat surface between Jamie and herself, "It's not even _round_. I'm never going to get this."

Jamie glanced at the food. It wasn't round, that was for sure, instead it seemed to have taken on the shape of a fish looking thing. Oddly spaced out in the center and the tips of a smile at the ends of each side. But despite it's shape, it still held the golden brown and fluffy appearance associated with pancakes. So, it couldn't be that bad. Could it?

The brunette gawked as Jamie stuffed half of the pancake into his mouth, her own mouth wide open in shock. "W-w-what are you doing! Don't _eat that_! What if it's not cooked correctly, o-or what if you come down with something horrible because of my terrible cooking! You spit that out right now, Mister!"

But instead of doing as he was told, Jamie swallowed the food and waited.

"You ate it." she breathed out, worry ebbing onto her features as she quickly grabbed a glass and shuffled to the refrigerator to fill it with milk. Once filled, she made her way towards the sitting purple haired farmer and handed him the glass. Watching with cautious eyes, she inched closer when he took the offering and pressed the back of her palm against his cheek. "You don't feel sick do you? You feel a little hot... Oh Goddess, I should get you to Alex quick."

Jamie frowned, batting away the warm hand against his burning cheek, and shook his head. Downing the milk in his grasp, hoping it would alleviate the hummingbird pace his heart had adopted from just her close presence, he picked the remaining piece of pancake and stuffed it into his mouth.

"I'm fine," he gritted out, feeling his pulse quicken when she peered into his face for a close inspection, blatantly checking to see if he was lying to her.

"I don't know," she mused aloud, refusing to give Jamie breathing space to stop the color from rising to his cheeks. "You're starting to look a little red." Just when Jamie thought he was going to past out from the unusual amount of blood rushing to his head, she pulled away and threw her arms in the air. "Oh, why am I so horrible when it comes to cooking. Gardening, I'm great at, but when it comes to actually utilizing whatever I plant... I'm a complete mess!"

"Shh," Jamie found himself hissing, panicked that her cries of despair would attract the buildings other inhabitants. Teary brown eyes turned to him somberly and Jamie felt an ache in his chest, and he was certain it had nothing to do from the food he had just ingested. Looking down at the plate before him, now riddled with bits and pieces of the pancakes that once laid upon it, he fiddled with it as his mouth moved on its own, "I-It wasn't horrible. I l-liked it."

A pregnant pause engulfed the empty café.

Shuffling from the adjacent room brought Jamie to look back up, frightened that their time together was coming to an end. But instead of seeing Carl's cheerful face or Katie's haughtiness, he saw her smiling timidly at him with shimmering eyes. "Really?"

Jamie nodded.

And the smile on her lips grew tenfold, "That's the sweetest thing anyone's ever said to me, Jamie." A pain in his jaw caused Jamie to look away from the brunette, but his eyes jumped right back when her hand gently touched his cheek. "You really should do that more often."

He frowned, "Do what?"

"Smile."


End file.
